


"Spooky"

by CourtoftheDragon



Category: Game Grumps, Ninja Sex Party - Fandom, Real Person Fiction, Skyhill (Band)
Genre: "You" - OCish tbh, "You" means female, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, OC Relationships - Freeform, Paranormal, Paranormal Investigators, See major warnings, Spooks - Freeform, ghost au, ghost!Reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2019-07-07 22:55:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15917952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourtoftheDragon/pseuds/CourtoftheDragon
Summary: In which Dan finds out that he has an invisible roommate in his house, and what that might mean for both him and you.(Ghost fic! <333)*Announcement inside* 01-10-19





	1. Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone! What's up? I'm a sucker for anything ghost related, so I thought I'd throw out a fic. It was gonna be a simple oneshot but I've only got time for short segments lately. It'll probably be at least a couple chapters.
> 
> Sorry about slow updates on Saltwater Scars (and everything) but I needed something to freshen my palette. I've got another oneshot possibly in the works too (with telepathic Dan!)
> 
> Anyways, thanks for dropping by! Y'all are awesome! Here's the beginning.

Dan and Barry had been sharing a cozy home in Glendale for the last four years. For Dan, it had been a last minute move to California so that he could be closer for Game Grumps, and Barry had already been renting the place for himself.

 

It definitely would not have been Dan's first choice, but it had some of the cheapest rent either of them had seen in the entire area; Barry had stayed on a waiting list for a year while the owner made some sort of “renovations.” Dan had virtually no clue what they had meant by that- the house wasn't old per say, but it was so poorly manufactured that repairs constantly had to be made while they were living there.

 

The layout was simple: Upon entering the house, there was a wide living room and dusty fireplace on the left, an adjoining dining room and kitchen behind it. To the right, there was a tucked away, skinny staircase leading up to two bedrooms and a small bathroom at the end of the hallway. Below the stairs, there was a short descent into a modest basement that had a room often used for gaming or musical activities, and a stray room that they used as an office.

 

That was it- no bells or whistles attached. While Dan would have preferred something a bit more up-to-date and decorated, he didn't feel a need to be picky about it. At the time, he was just thankful that he'd had friends he could rely on during harder financial times.

 

They had both been comfortable living together, Dan often too busy to spend much time at home anyway. It was minimalist, and that was enough.

 

Now, he could feel the empty spaces around him in the house, an almost palpable entity floating around him. Barry had left Game Grumps a few months ago and had enough money to buy his own condo, so now it was just Dan in the quaint little suburban house. 

 

He almost had enough money to buy his own way too, but there was something nagging him inside, preventing him from making a move. Maybe it was the expectation of starting a family, (something that wasn't going to happen anytime soon if his current dating history had anything to say about it.) Dan wasn't sure, but for now, he certainly wasn't going anywhere.

 

Despite his love for rock and roll, Dan enjoyed his silent mornings as he drank tea and read while on the couch. This was part of his daily routine- afterwards, he'd take a shower, get dressed, and often head out to either the gym, a Starbucks, the music studio, or the Grump office.

 

However, this morning was different than most.

 

For starters, his alarm didn't go off today. Instead, he was rudely jolted awake by his ringing phone. Tank! from Cowboy Bebop obnoxiously blared from the tiny speaker as he groaned and rolled over in his bed, blinking. Light filtered into the room from the small window above a writing desk to the left of his queen-sized bed. Atop it, his phone was flashing. He groggily sat up and grabbed it, bringing it to his ear. “Mmh...hello. Yeah. Yeah, sorry, Ar. Slept in on accident. I'll be there in like 30.”

 

As soon as Dan hung up the phone, he immediately got a twisted, wrong sensation in his gut. He sat with it for a minute before shrugging it off as a leftover bad dream. He got up and sluggishly walked out of the bedroom to head to the bathroom.

 

On his way out, he stepped on something soft and his feet slipped out from beneath him; He caught the banister to the right just in time before he landed square on his ass. He blinked in confusion and looked down at what was in the hallway.

 

It was a hand-sewn Danny Sexbang doll...well, half of it, with cotton fluff peeking out of the little torso. The other half of the doll was on the floor, its black button eyes innocently looking back up at him. Dan picked up both pieces and with growing confusion, peered into the room that they both belonged in. What he saw made him visibly jump back and loudly gasp.

 

After Barry had moved out, Dan had re-purposed his bedroom as a collectibles and gift room. The entire place was decorated with NSP, Starbomb and Game Grumps posters and memorabilia that was either official, or made with love by their adoring fans. Everything in the room had been carefully placed, even organized by each yearly milestone in Dan's growing career.

 

Now the room appeared as though it alone had been hit by a colorful earthquake. Dan's mouth was agape as he carefully walked through the room and looked around. Most of it was in literal pieces on the floor: more dolls, clay figures, clothing, even his posters were broken, ripped, thrown about the room in some kind of crazed flurry. 

 

Thinking that it could maybe be the work of an angry, obsessed fan, Dan exited the room and cautiously walked downstairs, his phone at the ready if he were to encounter anyone.

 

He checked all the doors, windows, the first floor and the basement. There wasn't any evidence of a break in, all other places untouched. But the dreadful feeling in his stomach returned, followed by a threatened tingle on the nape of his neck.

 

He didn't know what to do, so he just walked back upstairs and dazedly surveyed the damage. He picked up a few items, searching for any possible clues that could point to the perpetrator. 

 

As he neared the back of the room, the feeling of dread around him seemed to increase in pressure- he shivered a moment as the tingle crossed his arms, almost turning into an itch. Suddenly feeling a bit claustrophobic and nauseated, Dan followed a sudden urge to get out of the room.

 

He clumsily rushed back into his bedroom, and that's when he noticed his alarm clock.

 

It was slightly crooked, the crimson numbers unblinking, stuck on 2:42am.

 

“...What the-”

 

Dan was startled again as his phone went off again. Blowing out a sigh, he answered it, his other hand held over his face.

 

“Yeah, sorry, I'm gonna be late. I think...my house was broken into, or something. Yeah. Yeah, man, I'm serious...”

 

When the conversation was over, Dan folded his arms and stared at his feet. He knew what it immediately looked like...there were even long scratches on the walls where the posters had been...

 

...But that was completely insane. Nothing weird had ever happened in the house the entire time he and Barry had lived there.

 

Until now.

 

Well, then. Another sigh.

 

3, 2, 1...

 

Let's jam.


	2. Listening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! <3

Dan gave Arin a quick run down of what had occurred that morning before they started the recording session, but didn't elaborate until all the mics were off.

 

Arin folded his arms and peered over at him from the couch. “So, your fan-art room was just totally obliterated out of nowhere?”

 

“Yeah,” Dan answered with mild exasperation. “It's a total wreck right now. I'm pissed thinking about it- pretty much all of my favorite fan gifts were in there, and all my original posters.”

 

“Did you call the cops?”

 

“No, of course not.”

 

“No? Is this not a threat to you?”

 

“From who?” Dan threw him a light, humorless laugh and grin. “Myself? There was no other damage, and all the doors and windows were locked.”

 

Arin shut off the TV, putting away the console. “So, you think 'you' did it? Like, sleepwalking, or something?”

 

“I don't know...” Dan sighed and stood up, hands in his pockets, thinking deeply. “It's the only thing that's possible, right? Nobody has a key to the house.“ He waited for Arin to finish up, and they walked out together into the dining area. “I guess I should set up cameras. Then I'll know for sure, and I'll have evidence.” Though Dan wasn't entirely sure that's what he wanted. He was definitely going to get a harder lock for his bedroom door. Maybe a bat under his bed.

 

“Maybe your subconscious thinks you've been overworking,” Arin weakly joked as they wandered around the room, waiting for their Thai food delivery.

 

“No...” Dan shook his head. “It's more than that, I think. It definitely looks like it was done out of anger. You can come see if you want, I could use extra help cleaning it up.”

 

Arin was staring at his phone. “I would, but Suzy and I have a few of appointments we gotta get to soon. Sorry, man. Good luck, though, and lemme know if there's an emergency or something.”

 

“Alright, thanks.”

~~~~~~~~~~

 

~Existing as a non-corporeal entity can be just as complicated as inhabiting a physical body, when you learn that both kinds of persons are built on something as flimsy and unstable as memory.

 

I couldn't remember most information about me. I've forgotten my name. I know that I'm a woman who usually appears to be in her twenties. (I say usually because, as a ghost, I discovered that sometimes your appearance can match your emotional age, rather than your physical one. Our emotional ages are often much younger than we realize.) 

 

I know I'm dead, have been for at least few years, but the facts surrounding that are all hazy too. I know that me casually bringing this up is entirely not normal, and there's something off about the fact that I'm not way more bothered by it. But I was always a little bit bothered by own existence in life, so I'm not sure much has changed in the afterlife. I don't know what I expected.

 

I know that something terrible happened in the basement. That's where bad things always happen in horror movies, right? I can't go down there. I tried to travel past the door- my entire being froze up and I thought I was going to actually explode into pieces. So I just don't try anymore.

 

Actually, now that I think about it, I used to be a bit bothered, knowing I was a ghost. For a long time, I was depressed. There was nothing to do, so I would often just find a corner and stay there a while. I imagine other ghosts probably like to people watch. I didn't at first- I wasn't really interested in anyone around me. I wonder why...it was as though each new family was just an atmosphere. Families, kids, dogs, cats, druggies, didn't matter the flavor. They were all loud, obnoxious, moving furniture, and nothing more. I couldn't interact with them, so what more could they be?

 

But then, these two young men moved in. And...the air changed a lot. I felt that I could flow better, so I got up and walked. I walked, and I followed them around the house. (But not into the basement.)

 

Both of them are genuinely nice people with "good" auras, and I found myself drawn to the taller one, with the curly hair. His name is Dan. I know that both him and his friend Barry are Youtube celebrities, and that Dan is also a singer for a couple of comedic bands. Those two would talk about work a lot whenever they were home, and sometimes play videos on the TV in the living room. The episodes were hilarious, although I couldn't really muster a laugh that anyone could hear. 

 

Barry had taken my old bedroom, and that bothered me at first, but I felt better later knowing that he was very clean and orderly, and the bed still faced the doorway.

 

When those two weren't hanging out together upstairs or at work, they were in the basement. They talked about the rooms they had down there, but I wasn't sure about everything they did. Whenever I felt especially lonely, I would sit down by the door, lean against the wall, and listen to them talk or watch TV. I often couldn't make out what they were saying, but sometimes that was more comfortable anyway.

 

Sometimes, Danny practiced singing at home. That's when I learned that his voice is especially soothing and difficult for me to stay away from. His voice helped me remember my best friend in college, Colleen. Once, she showed me a band she liked called Skyhill. I never really looked them up, I just played the CD she burned for my car. It's one of my favorite albums now, and it means so much to me that she gave it to me... 

 

Dan's voice reminds me of the singer- they're almost identical, really. I think that might be why I love his singing so much. Because of it, I know that there was a happier time somewhere in my life, hiding beneath the dust. Plus, his comedy songs can be really funny! He really is talented. I'm still depressed, but his music reminded me that sometimes, I can still feel happy, even for a moment. Even as a ghost.

 

Danny would casually sing in the shower or in his room, but when he was in the basement, he was practicing music more seriously. Whenever he does that, I will just sit by the door again, close my eyes, and let the melody take me somewhere far away from here.

 

Sometime before the two men appeared, I attempted to do more traditional, “ghostly” things. There were breaks from my numbness where I tried screaming at people, knocking on walls, showing up in bathroom mirrors, moving objects with my mind, just to see what might happen. Nothing ever came of it, and I was just too tired to even be frustrated. The resulting disappointment was always overwhelming though, so I just quit trying to interrupt the living world around me. Staying put was more peaceful.

 

My time at home with Dan had become more precious now, since Barry had moved away. The quiet only bothered me when I was home alone. 

 

But today, Dan was excited about something. He had a copy of a new album he'd made, Cool Patrol- and he brought it home to listen to it. I was anxious about it too- he had been talking about it for months. I followed him to the basement door, but of course, he went on without me, so I stopped and waited patiently for the music to begin. 

 

I have to tell someone...it's wonderful, the new CD. It's so different from his others, but it's still all the silliness of Dan and Ninja Sex Party. I got comfortable in my spot against the door, and listened in contentment with him...

 

Five songs...six...seven...~

 

~*~*~*

 

~Something's wrong- Where'd the music go? Wh- I'm...I'm in my bedroom...a-and...oh, 

 

Oh, oh, God!~

 

I looked around at all the broken pieces of Dan's collectibles around me. Even in the pitch blackness, I could see all of the colorful damage done. ~Wh- Dan had cared about those! W-What happened?!~

 

There was no explanation, until I looked down at my hands. They were bright red, plaster from the walls caked underneath my spectral fingernails. My entire pale form began to shake.

 

~I did this, somehow.

 

I ruined Dan's room! 

 

I couldn't even touch things before!

 

Why?...Why-why-why?!~

 

Eyes wide, I looked up at the walls. A wail escaped my throat when I saw the ripped posters. ~N-nononono!~ I ran to the far wall, tapping across it, trying to will it all back together. 

 

And that's when I finally noticed it. 

 

A torn, black poster of the silhouette of a wolf. I paused.

 

~...Dan. T-That's why it was s-so familiar...~

 

I was so stupid. Dan didn't just sound like Skyhill.

 

Of course, it was one of his old bands.

 

I began to tremble even more. I felt dizzy as my eyes passed over the disaster, over and over again.

 

~He gave me a gift. Several gifts, and I-I...I broke all of his stuff! Why?!

 

I'm a bad ghost! 

 

A f-fucking monster! 

 

A- A freak!~

 

It became too much. Curling in on myself, I retreated to the back corner of the room as despair suddenly and completely overtook me.

 

Tears dripped down my face as I sobbed as loudly as I could, trying to rid myself of that awful, deep anguish. But it was as though I was the well meant to contain it instead. It only flowed around me, back into my chest, throughout my darkened aura, a never-ending wheel of sadness.

 

~I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!~ I cried, hugging my legs to my chest.

 

Please forgive me.

 

But no one would hear me tonight.

Because no one was listening.


	3. Anomaly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! Sorry for slow, little updates as usual- I've been really sick and busy this month. This isn't going to be done by Halloween or anything but I hope it's still fun to read at anytime. 
> 
> (If you like ghost stories, that new show on Netflix - Haunting of House Hill - is pretty good, I'm a few episodes in.)
> 
> Anyways, enjoy.

My heart had practically shattered in my chest when I saw Dan's reaction to what I'd done to his collection. Afraid that I would just end up wrecking something else, I pinned myself to the back corner and sulked, crying silently as I watched his face drop.

 

I had done this, and yet, I didn't remember a single thing. That made me a clear danger to the most important person in my life. Er, death.

 

On the other hand, I had a unique opportunity to possibly apologize to Dan, now that I had the ability to affect the physical world. Plus, I didn't want him to believe that this was all somehow his own fault.

 

But I was still bound by last night's fear, stuck in that little corner of the bedroom, having to wallow in my own guilt and the debris while Dan was away at work.

 

When he'd returned a few hours later from the recording session, I mustered the energy to “wake up,” although I felt like the air around me had become a cloak of dense, heavy fog.

 

I cautiously kept my distance from him, huddled up at one end of the pale couch, and watched as Dan drilled holes into his front door to install a bolt lock.

 

When he had gotten home, he was also acting careful of his surroundings as his eyes surveyed every room, looking for any strange signs. He sighed in relief when he walked back up from the basement, and that made me feel better too, but I noticed when he kept the door open and all the lights on while he performed his set up.

 

I hated that I'd been the cause of all this, but having a few extra safety measures never hurt anyone, right? Especially for a popular celebrity like him. I told myself that this was all for his greatest good as he finished the front door and I followed him to the back.

 

Dan was completely silent while he worked today, something uncharacteristic of his usual behavior. Whenever he was writing lyrics on the couch or working on some other menial task, he often spoke under his breath, especially if he was alone. He also liked to have his music on as background noise, but today, there was none. His jaw was a hard, set line as he focused on his task. Occasionally, he would pause, as though he was listening for something. Worrying that I was somehow affecting him, I backed up into the living room and watched from another corner on the floor as he returned to work.

 

When Dan was finished bolting and locking all his doors and windows (including the ones on the second floor,) I then watched as he went to and from the basement again, bringing up a small, handheld video recorder and a tripod.

 

He walked upstairs and sat on the floor for a bit in the hallway between his room and the adjacent bedroom, turning on the recorder and fiddling with the screen controls. While he did that, his cell phone was on the floor, the speaker-phone ring dialing Barry. Curious, I began to sneak up the stairs, watching him through the banister.

 

“...Hello?”

 

“Hey Bar.”

 

“Hey Dan, what's up?”

 

“Nothin' much, I just got back from a recording session today. I had, um...” Dan paused a moment, setting the recorder onto the tripod. It stood at the end of the little hallway next to the bathroom and faced the opposite end of the hall, as well as some of the entrance to Dan's room and the interior of the “disaster” room. The red light was on.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I was just wondering if...if anything, like...weird had ever happened to you while you were living here?” Dan cringed as he asked.

 

Barry caught on to most things rather quickly. “Are we talkin', like, bad date weird, or late-night Travel Channel weird?”

 

Dan lightly giggled to break some tension. “The latter.”

 

Barry tutted a minute. “Hmm...not that I can think of. Well, sometimes it got kinda cold in the bedroom. But everything in that house is broken, so I doubt it was anything. You huntin' lil' ghosties, Dan?” he asked in a mocking, silly voice.

 

Dan laughed and his cheeks turned light pink with some embarrassment. “Something like that...anyway, thanks for your input.”

 

“Anytime.”

 

They chatted about work for a minute, and then Dan hung up and pocketed his phone.

 

As he was standing up and checking the recorder screen with his back to me, I moved a little more quickly up the stairs until I was at the end of the hallway.

 

In that moment, I was startled along with Dan as the steps loudly creaked with me, bending under my “weight”.

 

He swiftly turned around, hazel eyes wide, and stared right through me at the end of the hall. I completely froze- this was the first time that I'd ever felt like someone in the house was intentionally looking right at me.

 

After a moment of his eyes boring into me, Dan sighed and muttered something inaudible as he left the camera alone and briefly checked the interior of the disaster room. Then he was walking back towards me. My heart was still pounding, (despite being only a figment of my own imagination).

 

Afraid of somehow “running into” him, I squeezed myself against the corner wall as he barely passed me and walked back downstairs to hang out somewhere in the basement.

 

~He...did he…sense me?~ I wanted to follow him, but his usually deep-blue aura was already a spiked yellow, quite a bit on edge, and I didn't want to make any more noise yet. So I just waited at the end of the hallway again, slinking back down the wall.

 

From the other end of the hall, that little red recording light taunted me.

 

~

 

I stayed in that corner all day and evening, not fully aware of how time was passing, and a bit emotionally torn between the excitement and fear of possibly being seen on a camera. 

 

I didn’t think Dan believed in ghosts, (although from what little Grumps episodes I had heard here and there, it sounded like he was possibly a little more open to the idea than Arin.) 

 

He was still downstairs. No music today- just the TV lulling in the background.

 

I stared at the red dot, still blinking at me. Dan had kept all the lights on upstairs. ~Would I even show up?~ I wondered to myself. I didn’t know any of the rules of this whole ghost thing. 

 

I pulled my knees up to my chest and weighed the pros and cons. 

 

Dan was literally the last thing I had to lose if he found out that I ruined his collection. Possibly my “soul” too, I guess. ~Maybe he’ll hire a priest or something to exorcise me when he finds out I’m here…~

 

~…Does it hurt to be exorcised? Will I be pulled into the demonic grips of Hell by hooded, shadowy minions, like in the movies? Maybe even go to Heaven? Is there even a Heaven?~ I hadn’t given it any thought since I had died. I don’t think I did much in life either, to be honest. But if there was, I would’ve gotten picked up or something, right? Seen a bright light? I don’t remember seeing any other ghosts.

 

~Maybe I’ll just go up in flames. Stop existing altogether.~ The thought gave me a bright, chilled sensation, like someone pouring ice water down my back, and I shuddered. Okay, no thank you.

 

~Okay, so…what are the pros of this?~ I looked up at the red dot, as if it could answer my questions.

 

~The pros are…that Dan knows that he wasn’t responsible for breaking all the things he loves. And…maybe…~

 

Maybe he would see me, and not hate me somehow. Maybe he would just stay, and keep singing.

 

And if he did end up hating me, then… I sighed. ~Then…I would have to be exorcised, I guess.~ And I would probably deserve it. After all he’s done for me, I couldn’t stand to bother him.

 

The tiny dot just kept blinking. Waiting patiently for me to decide.

 

Gulping, I uncurled from the corner of the hall and began to inch towards the camera on my hands and knees.

 

I stopped in front of it, sitting on the floor, rubbing my knuckles nervously in front of me. Then, after a long pause, I opened my quivering mouth and formed what I hoped were clear, audible words.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Dan hit the hay at his usual bedtime (which was early when he wasn’t working). The evening had ended quietly and typically, albeit a little lonelier than usual, but he was going into the office again the next day anyway. He didn’t have enough time to really be surprised by the fact that he fell asleep shortly after his face hit the pillow.

 

Sometime later, he felt a rush and his eyes flung open in the blackness. He didn’t know what had awoken him- he thought it was a hollow sound, like someone knocking on wood a few times. Percussion? But before he could really ponder it, his tired mind tugged on him to sink back into blurry bliss…

 

Then another jolt, this time with a faraway crash that sounded like glass. Dan sat up suddenly with a gasp, now wide awake. 

 

His eyes didn’t have to adjust to the dark too long, because a flood of light from downstairs was already spilling into his open bedroom, reflecting off the ceiling of the living room above the hallway. He began to hyperventilate, grabbing his phone and the metal baseball bat he bought yesterday from the side of the bed. Panic was filling his chest as he stood up slowly. ~Someone is here! In the house!~ “F-f-fuck!” His legs shook a little as he cautiously walked out of his bedroom, wearing only his boxers.

 

Something long and skinny lay diagonally across the floor of the hallway. Shining his phone light onto it, he saw it was a ~A broom?~ He blinked and held his breath as he crossed over it and slinked his way downwards. His right thumb was ready on his phone dial.

 

He stared down the stairs at the source of the light- it came from the kitchen. A white noise was spilling from the counter- ~The sink,~ he thought. Running water.

 

He stood at the end of the hallway for what felt like an eternity. Sensing no movement coming from downstairs, he drifted down, clutching the bat as tight as he could with his left hand.

 

When he stepped onto the living room floor, his heart was drumming against his chest. The light filled all of his nearby surroundings- casting shadows in the living room, revealing that no one was there. 

 

But there was a shattered dinner plate on the dining room floor, pieces in front of and scattered across from the kitchen sink. 

 

He swiftly checked the front door- the bolt was in place. Basement door closed too. The shadows around him began to turn- a little bit of vertigo passed his gaze, a moment of dizzy disconnection from reality that felt like a dream. When adrenaline started to kick in, he more boldly stepped forward past his quiet couch and into the dining area.

 

From there, he saw that the other adjoining back door was also closed and still bolted. And the hairs stood up on the back of Dan’s neck when he saw that the sink was indeed on, pouring down the open drain.

 

He cautiously approached the sink, tip toeing over the glass. Nothing else in the room seemed to be touched. He peered inside the sink. Three other plates, a couple forks and a mug he used that evening for tea were swimming in soapy water. They were dirty- a few leftover items from some of his home dinners that he hadn’t gotten to washing yet. 

 

He had set them right next to the sink. But there they were, beneath the water. Hand shaking, he put down his phone and slowly shut off the faucet. It was running warm.

 

Floorboards groaned somewhere behind him, and Dan immediately flipped around, brandishing the bat now with two shaky hands. His mind was racing. ~WhatdoIdo- call the cops?! Whatifthey’restillhere- they have to be, they have to be- but the doors are all locked-~

 

“He-hello?!” He called out in fear. Probably the dumbest move, but he figured negotiation would do him better than a fight. He began to check the windows as he walked around. “L-listen, if anyone is here…just take the TV…or stereo or whatever…I-I don’t need them! Take wh-whatever you want!”

 

He walked back into the living room. Heart about to leap out of his chest, he approached the basement door and opened it. He held his breath as he switched on the light and stepped downstairs.

~~

Despite his terror, there was no one there. He checked every room- nothing. Everything else was still in place. Except-

 

“The dish and the broom,” he whispered, which made absolutely no fucking sense. He couldn’t have been sleep walking, could he? He heard the crash as he was waking up. Unless it was a hallucination maybe?

 

~There’s a way to find out.~ He walked back upstairs as if in a daze, breathing heavily as he went.

 

Every light was switched on along the way, the whole house flooded in white. Dan made a half-hearted effort to raise the bat as he entered the disaster room, but nothing was amiss in there either. He glanced at the broom on the floor. ~Well, it came from the kitchen.~ From behind the fridge. So he had to have gone down there at some point.

 

After a moment of drowsy contemplation, he eyed the camera. “Alright. Let’s figure this out…” he murmured as he walked over to it and put down the bat as he took the camera into his hands.

 

The house was silent as he took a couple of minutes to rewind the footage. Then Dan saw himself in front of the small screen, sitting cross legged as he began to set up the tripod, his cell phone on the floor.

 

With his back against the wall and legs bent in front of him, Dan settled the camera in his lap and hit the play button.


	4. Candid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all leave me the nicest messages. <3 Thanks.

Dan decided to fast forward the footage a few hours to after he had gone to bed, although it didn’t escape his notice that there was a small blip in the recording near the beginning of the video. On screen, when the sun had gone down and he’d retired to his room, he slowed down the speed a bit. In the blackness, a flicker of movement caught his eye, so he rewound a little bit and pressed play on regular speed, tapping his fingers anxiously on his leg.

 

For a few minutes, there was silence, save for the background hum of the air conditioner. Then a brightness from the right- the kitchen light turning on. Dan began to feel paranoia coming on as he watched, nervously rubbing the back of his tingling neck. 

 

He was startled as he heard a rattle, followed by a brushing sound dragging across the floor. Then the ‘clunking’ along each stair until he saw the handle of the broom and his eyes widened. The broom was floating there at the end of the hallway, standing all on its own. Suddenly feeling vulnerable, Dan pressed his back closer to the wall, throwing glances at the quiet broom on the floor at his feet. The one on the screen glided forward and appeared to ‘try’ to enter the adjacent bedroom, but stopped abruptly in midair. It moved forward again, only to stop again, doing a strange back-and-forth dance. Then, as if someone let it go, it fell backward to the floor, clattering loudly, which made Dan jump again.

 

That was enough for the moment- Dan stopped paying full attention to the kitchen sounds from the footage, realizing that for a minute, he had been holding his breath and had placed a hand across his mouth. His eyes were honing on the broom.

 

A thud on the stairs in real-time caused him to start, fumbling with the camera until it slipped down onto the hardwood at his feet. “Shit!” Leaving the bat behind, Dan grabbed onto the door frame of the bathroom and pulled himself up, practically throwing himself back into his bedroom, hyperventilating as he bolt locked his door shut.

 

He just stared at the door a few minutes, trying to calm himself, to tell himself what he saw. ~The broom moved by itself.~ Without him, or anyone, which was totally impossible.

 

Dan sat on the edge of his bed, resting his chin on his hands as he quietly contemplated a few possible scenarios. Then his posture relaxed. He found himself airily giggling. ~…Wow…He would pull this today though, wouldn’t he? Right after I mention it too.~

 

He took a slightly perturbed moment to grab his phone from the floor in the hall, then returned to his room and reclosed the door as he dialed Arin’s number.

 

It rang a few times. Then he heard the static of shuffling. A low, languid groan greeted him. “Mmmmh…Dan?”

 

Dan grinned at the floor as he stood up, running a hand through his hair. “Arin, you sneaky sonofabitch. If it wasn’t so close to October, I could drive to your house right now and straight-up murder you. You got me good, man.”

 

He could almost hear Arin blinking. “W-whadjousay? Wus goin’ on?”

 

Feeling more confident, Dan opened the door and looked out into the hallway again, peering up at the the ceiling. “Pretty funny skit for Halloween, scaring the shit out of everyone in the office. How’d you set it up so fast? I wasn’t at Target that long.” His eyes scanned the corners for a sign of a tiny, bead-like camera.

 

Arin wasn’t having whatever Dan was dishing. “Jus…just gimme a sec, man.”

 

Dan waited a few minutes, his brow furrowing. Then Arin was back on the line, sounding more irate. “You, uh…you need help with something? It’s three in the morning. I mean- it’s fine, whatever, we’re up sometimes, but-“

 

Dan walked around, a hand on his hip as he paced back and forth. “No, Ar, I…your prank went off. You got what you needed, I freaked out- can I know where the hidden camera is now please? How many blocks away are you? Or was it Matt or Ryan?”

 

Another pause, then a sigh. “I’m at home…I have no fucking clue what you’re talking about, um…” Suddenly, Arin’s tone changed, as if he’d had his own epiphany. “Wait, Dan, where are you right now?”

 

“In my house!” Dan practically shouted before throwing in a chuckle to curb the tension. Now he was getting frustrated. He walked back into his room, grabbing some clothes off the floor. “Here, I’ll get dressed and meet you wherever you are outside-“

 

“No, Dan, stop. Don’t leave your house, okay?” Now Arin sounded weirdly soft and serious at the same time. “Just stay in your room, I’ll be on my way over in a bit. Just…try to go back to sleep. Or if you get snacky, then just stay in the kitchen, I guess. I’ll be right there.”

 

Now Dan was lost. “What?”

 

“I’ll be there in fifteen. Don’t touch your doors.” Click.

 

Dan just looked at his phone in bewilderment a moment. “Don’t touch my doors? Oh- kay then…” So the camera was either in his bedroom, or on the first floor, or both. And the skit was probably far from over. ~It’s fine, I didn’t need to sleep tonight or anything...~

 

He took a few minutes to throw on some jeans and his Nirvana shirt before opening his door and glancing out into the hallway. The tape recorder was right in front of his door now…was it there a second ago? He picked it up as he walked out, also grabbing the broom as he headed back downstairs. 

 

While he waited for Arin (or more shenanigans to ensue,) he figured he’d make some jasmine tea. He tossed the camcorder onto the couch and walked back into the kitchen, setting the broom aside. He took a few minutes to completely focus on the task, ignoring the shattered ceramic still on the floor.

 

It wasn’t until he had sat down and taken a few sips of his tea that it was all beginning to dawn on him. Like someone was pulling a blanket off him slowly, leaving his feet cold. ~This wasn’t really a prank.~ Even if the guys had somehow gotten into his house while he was away, there was no way they would’ve gotten footage onto the camera without him noticing. The card was blank when he started it. Meaning…

 

He sipped his tea faster from his favorite unicorn mug as his stomach became queasy. 

 

Glancing at the camcorder, he remembered the weird blip. And as damned as he could be, he was a grown-ass man, for God’s sake. One whose curiosity made for a good momentary distraction, at least. He set the empty mug down on the side table and grabbed the camera again, rewinding it.

 

He got to the point where he was done talking to Barry. And there it was- the creak of the floorboard. And…

 

~Holy shit!~

 

There was a huge fucking shadow, moving up the corner of the wall! He’d stared right at it without seeing it.

 

For a few minutes, it didn’t move, so he fast-forwarded. Sometime later, it slid along the floor, closer to the screen. It’s entirety was almost completely black. Not a blip.

 

As the speed returned to normal, all the color drained from Dan’s face. But he was fixated on the little screen. 

 

Then there was…an airy sound? Like breath, but labored. And then, in a strange, distorted tone, quiet, disturbingly distinct words. 

 

“Hello Danny.”

 

“AAAGH!” Dan yelped and threw the camera this time- it hit the hardwood floor with a loud thud, a plastic handle on the side breaking off. He was past caring now- he scrambled for the front door. When his doorbell rang, he flew back a minute, almost landing on his ass. He struggled with the bolt a moment, then threw open the door, flying outside and slamming it shut behind him.

 

Arin was confused as his friend plowed into him, shoving him backwards. He was in his typical pink, Sailor Moon Pajamas and a black jacket. “Whoah- Dan! You’re awake! Wait- what’re you-“

 

Dan was already marching towards the car. “Let’s get out of here,” he said, pulling open the passenger door and getting inside.

 

Arin ran back over to him and opened the driver’s side, astonished. “Dan, what the hell is going on?!”

 

“Get in the car, please!” Dan was practically begging him, a light whine in his voice. 

 

Sighing, Arin complied, irritated worry all over his face as he stared at his lanky friend. “Are you okay?! I thought you were sleepwalking, or talking, or whatever. What’s going on?”

 

“Arin…” Dan took a minute to compose himself, eyes closed. When he looked back at his friend, his gaze held a dark, no-nonsense look that the co-host was familiar with. His tone was deep, tired, much too matter-of-fact. “My house is fucking haunted.”

 

Arin snorted for a second. Then his face dropped. “Oh, you’re serious.”

 

Dan pinched the bridge of his nose. “There’s…a camcorder in there on the floor. Go grab it.”

 

Arin waited a minute for any explanation. When he didn’t get one, he sighed and opened the car door. In a false jovial tone, he muttered, “Al- righty then. Be right back.” With a grumble, he shuffled into Dan’s house.

~

“…THERE! Did you hear that? It said my fucking name!” Dan’s eyes were wide with fright as they both watched the little screen, held in between them in the car.

Arin’s mouth was in a hard, skeptical line. Dan’s story was far-fetched already, although he did find the broken plate in the kitchen. But there were some things he didn’t get. “I don’t hear anything but static right there. And I don’t see any shadows.”

 

Dan frowned, looking like a kicked puppy. “What do you mean? It’s right there, right in front of you!” However, he agreed silently in his mind that the rest of the audio was a long moment of incomprehensible noise. Frustrated, he grabbed the camera. “Here, just- skip to night and you’ll see.”

 

A few minutes later, Arin’s brow was furrowed as he watched the broom move up the stairs and along the hallway. “Whoah! That’s…oh-ho- kay. That’s…bizarre…” He kept watching until he heard the plate and watched as his tall, pale friend left the bedroom with a shaky bat in his hands.

 

Dan looked up at him. “I thought you were pulling a Ghoul Grumps bit on me. But this is fucking real.” He sighed again, seemingly more exhausted then before. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

 

Arin stared at his dashboard a minute, thinking. Then he turned to Dan almost casually. “I don’t suppose…you tried the really obvious thing?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

Arin opened the car door. “Here, let’s just-“

 

Dan put his hands up, exasperated. “No- nonono. I’m not going back in there tonight! Take me to a motel if you want, I’m not moving.”

 

Arin held back an eye roll as he got out of the car. He was grumpy; he just wanted to get this over with and go home. “Alright, stay here then. You know you can crash at my place, and at the office. I’ll go shut your lights off. You want your jacket?”

 

Dan looked concerned, but he simply nodded as he watched Arin walk back up the driveway.

~

Arin took a couple of minutes to survey the house as he walked upstairs to get Dan’s white jacket (and wallet,) shutting all the lights off along the way. He took a peek inside the “disaster room” and whistled. “Wow. He wasn’t kidding.” 

 

He went back downstairs, across the living room, stopping a moment in the kitchen. He didn’t feel inclined tonight to help clean up any messes. But there was something he thought to try. Looking around the room, Arin timidly asked aloud, “Hello? Is there a ghost in here?”

 

Silence.

 

Then Arin nearly jumped out of his skin as there were three loud, steady knocks on the table right next to him. “JESUS!” He yelled and let out an exhale, backing away as he stared at it unblinking. With some quickly diminishing bravery, he waveringly added, “Did you scare my friend Dan tonight?!”

 

Another pause.

 

Then three quieter knocks, opposite side of the table.

 

Nothing else was needed- Arin turned and swiftly left, feeling as though something was right on his tail as he flipped the rest of the lights off, turned the handle lock, and threw the front door shut behind him.

 

When he got back in the car, Dan was suddenly eager. “What did you do, what happened?”

 

“You can sleep on my couch, or in the guest room,” Arin deflected, looking behind him as he reversed out of the driveway. “You’re not crazy. There’s something in there.”

 

Dan looked back at the house in wonder once more before they turned a corner, out of sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I held back tears as best I could as I watched the car drive off into the night from the living room window.

 

I was foolish to think I could help Dan at all in this pathetic form. 

 

A new, strange mist in the disaster room had prevented me from crossing the threshold, leaving me no way to help try to repair the damage I’d caused. Another place that used to be part of my home that I now couldn’t enter. So that was great.

 

And in my efforts to try and wash the dishes, I just broke more of Dan’s stuff. Cool.

 

Finally, in an effort to apologize to him, I scared him out of his own house. Fan-fucking-tastic work.

 

I curled up next to the window on the floor. A fear of abandonment was beginning to overwhelm me- I took “deep breaths” and reminded myself that he would come back. ~It’s just one night. His stuff is all here.~

 

Humans. A collection of things and people. I was neither of those now. I owned nothing, belonged to no one. The velvety curtain of depression pulled itself back over my shoulders, and I comfortably wrapped myself in it as I sank down into the floor.

 

A gentle, sweet melody passed through my lips as I closed my eyes. I sang a harmony that the original song didn’t have.

 

“…So I listen to the closing door…it’s much louder than it was before…like a vision of a foreign shore that calls you home…”

 

Dan would come back.

 

He’d come back for his stuff, and then leave. Just like every other living person does.

 

I pulled that curtain tighter until I couldn’t see anything. Except his face. 

 

Always his wonderful, beautiful face, as he sang for the entire world.


	5. Fuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cranked this section out today instead of doing homework. ;)

The guys slept through the remainder of the night with relatively low interruption and returned to the Grump office the following morning. Dan didn’t really want his new problem to be the focus of his entire day, but he did want a second opinion on the video, so he brought the camera with him. 

 

After sitting down with some caffeinated beverages, the grumpy duo recorded for one main series, along with some Ghoul Grumps episodes for next month. Arin sensed that Dan wasn’t super keen on playing anything actually scary today, and instead had the funny idea of playing Steam horror games that had horrible online reviews. It ended up being the most relaxing part of their day as they played such classics as “Tungulus,” “The Youthdrainers,” and “Lost Base Escape”.

 

After finishing up with a couple of chill Kirby episodes, they called it a day and met with Suzy in the dining room, sitting at a booth with her across from them as they ate their Thai lunches together. Dan was actually hoping for a larger audience, but Ross and all the editors were swamped. He flipped the screen open on the camcorder and passed it to Suzy. “Tell me what you think of this.”

 

Suzy seemed very enthusiastic about the entire ordeal, bouncing a little bit in her seat. When Dan tried to point out the shadow again, she raised an eyebrow at him, which did nothing for his sour mood on the subject. “Okay, well, can you hear that noise there? Doesn’t that sound like it says ‘Hello Danny’?”

 

“I think that’s a bit of a stretch,” Arin said, shoveling rice noodles into his mouth.

 

“Hmm, I’ll listen again.” Suzy rewound it and tried to hear something through the static. She politely nodded. “Yeah, I can hear something like that,” she said reassuringly, although Dan felt somewhat patronized. “You said it moved your broom upstairs?”

 

“Yeah, here.” Dan fast forwarded and passed it back to her. As Suzy watched the broom handle sway back and forth, her eyes glittered and a grin formed on her face. “Ooo-hooo! Oh my God, this is awesome!”

 

“Says you! You don’t live there,” Dan said defiantly, frowning. “And I don’t get why it’s happening now, because nothing has ever happened like this the entire time Barry and I’ve been there.”

 

“Well, yeah, sorry…but…I mean, this is like, real ghost evidence, you guys. Maybe we can find out what caused the sudden activity.” When Suzy looked up, there was an eagerness in her eyes. Arin, being her ‘lesser half,’ knew exactly what she was about to ask. “Could we maybe…go to Dan’s house and do a Ouija board session?” She gave Arin big doll eyes.

 

“Don’t ask me, Dan’s right here,” Arin said as he started to dink around on his phone.

 

Suzy turned to Dan and gave him the same look. “Please, Dan?”

 

Dan felt a bit irritable about the idea and his stomach began to churn, but it was hard to get mad at Suzy, especially when she was so genuine about it. He replied with a slight whine. “I really don’t want this to be a thing. I just want to get rid of it so I can fix my stuff and get on with my life.”

 

“Of course, but maybe we can find out some information that will help get rid of it. Don’t you wanna know why it ruined your room in the first place?” she asked.

 

He frowned. “Well, yeah…”

 

“But he doesn’t wanna piss it off further,” Arin chimed in, setting his phone down. “We don’t even know what it is. What if it’s like, a demon, or a poltergeist?”

 

This made Dan’s nerves jittery; he gave Suzy a fearful look, but she was calm. “I doubt it’s a demon if it hasn’t hurt anyone. Can we just do one Ouija sesh, pleeease? If it gets weird, I promise we’ll stop and I won’t bring it up again.”

 

Arin looked at Dan dubiously. “Your call.”

 

Dan grumbled, running a hand through his hair. “This really sucks,” he muttered, thinking about it a minute. He didn’t care if the ghost hadn’t done ‘physical’ harm- he already felt incredibly threatened by it. But, he wasn’t quite to a spot where he could afford another place to live yet, and he wasn’t going to room with his friends anymore. So, as long as he lived in that house, he was going to have to find a way to deal with the problem.

 

Dan was on the fence about even believing in ghosts, although he had heard a couple of attention-grabbing stories from his music producer while they were recording at the lonely Texas studio; his producer said that whenever he stayed overnight, he felt like he was being closely watched. He’d also insisted that when he had awoken one following morning, his shoes were neatly tied and waiting for him next to his bedroom door. 

 

So, even if he was afraid…maybe not all ghosts were bad?

 

And Dan was shit at saying no to close friends anyway. He sighed and looked at Suzy. “Just one Ouijie session. And I’d like to stay at your place again, if that’s alright.”

 

Arin held back a groan and Suzy gave a celebratory grin.

 

Before they left the studio, Dan dropped by Matt’s office and handed him the camera. “If you’re not too busy today, I was wondering if you could take a look at some audio on the first half of this video, see if you could clean it up? There’s a section with a lot of static.”

 

Matt flipped the side open to grab the memory card. He put on a silly voice. “I charge extra for home movies, Dan. Especially ‘naughty’ films.” He gave him a wink and his usual sarcastic half-smile.

 

“Put it on Arin’s tab then. Thanks, man.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From a curled up spot in the corner of the kitchen, I awakened from one of my ‘in-between’ stupors when the front door suddenly unlocked, and three familiar faces peered in from the doorway. 

 

I got up and cautiously walked around the dining room table as the trio paused in the living room. Suzy was looking up at the walls. Arin’s eyes widened as he glanced my way and pointed. “Dan, look.”

 

For one moment, I thought they were seeing me. Then I realized that it was the pile of broken ceramic at my feet that I’d swept up the previous night. I’d also managed to wash Dan’s mug without breaking it (to my own glowing pride). It waited for him on the kitchen table. He stared at it, his lips a hard line, but didn’t approach it.

 

Then I noticed the long box in Suzy’s arms. Knowing exactly what it was, I grinned and did a little victory hop (that was surprisingly silent on landing). “Oh, yes! Ouijie! Good idea, Suzy!” Finally, I could say something that they all could hear! And Dan could hear it too!

 

However, nobody heard my shout or seemed to be aware of my presence at all as they scooted the couch back and sat on the floor around the coffee table. Dan opened the windows and blinds before joining them, letting bright sunshine in- it was still the middle of the afternoon. Which was fine with me- maybe it would help curb his tension. 

 

I was super excited, but I snuck very cautiously around them as they all got into a circle and Suzy placed the planchette and the board on the coffee table. She looked up at the men. “We all ready?”

 

“I guess so,” Arin murmured. He and Dan glanced at each other uneasily before placing their fingers on the planchette. Suzy quickly grabbed two items from her book bag – a black candle and white one, and respectfully set them down side by side above the board. She lit them with a pocket lighter shaped like a mini Harry Potter wand. “Okay, now we’re good!” Then she placed her fingers on the planchette and closed her eyes for a bit, breathing deeply.

 

I took that as my cue to step in. Sitting at the side of the coffee table that’s facing the kitchen (and in between Suzy and Dan,) I carefully reached out my hands and cupped the top of everyone’s else’s. Nobody seemed to respond immediately, although both candles flickered from my arm brushing them a moment. Curiously, I waved one hand above them, causing the flames to rise an inch. Suzy and Dan looked at them and I saw Dan gulp, so I pulled it back. I turned to them, suddenly feeling better than I had in a while. Like I was with dear friends. “Alright, shoot me the first question, Suz,” I said with renewed confidence.

 

After taking a deep breath, Suzy asked, “Is anyone here in the room with us?”

 

I carefully pushed the planchette to YES.

 

I watched as Dan shifted uncomfortably. Suzy commented, “You feel that? I’ve got chills, and my hands are cold.”

 

Dan looked around, eyes on the alert. “I think it got darker in here too,” he said quietly, his voice slightly wavering.

 

Both Arin and I raised our eyebrows. “It’s still broad daylight to me,” he said. I looked around. ~Do I cast a shadow or something? Huh.~

 

Anyway, next question. “Who are you?”

 

~Shit.~ She would ask something I didn’t know the immediate answer to. Uh…I fumbled for a minute with the planchette. G I R L.

 

“You’re a girl?” YES.

 

“Ooh Dan, you have a girl ghost,” Arin lightly joked.

 

Suzy rolled her eyes and continued. “Okay, what’s your name?”

 

“Dammit Suzy, I don’t remember!” I huffed, unsure of how to answer. This wasn’t immediately going as I had hoped. Somewhat reluctantly, I pushed the planchette. I D K.

 

That threw Suzy off guard, as everyone threw out skeptical looks. “You don’t know your name?” YES. Unfortunately, that was true.

 

Dan looked at Suzy. “Is that bad?” he asked with some apprehension. “Does that mean it’s a demon?”

 

“No, it’s totally fine!” I said with slight panic, looking back and forth between them. “Ask something else please!”

 

“Ask her about the room,” Arin suggested.

 

Suzy shook her head. “We’ll ask about that later. Okay, uh…how old are you?”

 

Also not super well-known, but at least I had somewhat of an answer. 2 0 S.

 

“Twenty?” Some confusion, so I elaborated. I N 2 0 S. Suzy got it. “You’re in your twenties.” YES. “Wow, so she’s kinda young.” 

 

“Well thanks, that’s actually kind of flattering,” I said, watching Dan closely. He was quiet but he didn’t seem as stressed, which was good. Arin, on the other hand, was starting to look downright bored, which got on my nerves a little bit. ~Am I not entertaining you, Ar?~ I tried not to let it bother me too much as Suzy asked the next question.

 

“Is this your house?” YES. Well, at least I strongly felt that it was mine, and I had always been here. 

 

Arin threw in another line. “Well, it’s not anymore, it’s the land lord’s.”

 

“Babe, respect.” Suzy gave her husband a look and glanced at Dan before continuing. “Um, so…did you die in this house?”

 

I sighed, beginning to feel frustrated. “I don’t know the answer to that either, Suzy.” I slumped over in growing defeat, forgetting to move the arrow.

 

After waiting, Suzy tried again. “How did you die?” I practically shoved the planchette to the letters with a humph, watching as Dan’s eyes widened at the force. I D K 

For some reason, now Arin was upset. “Oh- kay, come on, this is ridiculous. Who doesn’t know their own name? And what kind of ghost answers in text acronyms?”

 

Uh-oh. Arin had sparked a fuse inside me that had already been burning silently. Before I could control myself, I abruptly stood up and stomped my foot on the floor next to the coffee table, like a little kid throwing a tantrum. Suzy squealed, Dan yelled and everyone jumped back. The candles were flaring to my emotions. “I’m sorry Arin, I didn’t write the rulebook for being FUCKING DEAD!” 

 

“Babe, wow, you already pissed it off!” Suzy scolded him.

 

“I didn’t do anything but say the truth!” he weakly answered.

 

Now you were irritated with Suzy. “IT?!” ~You’re talking about respect and you called me ‘it’?!~ “HELLO, I’M A PERSON!” 

 

In my anger, I shoved the entire board aside and Arin moved his head just in time as it whizzed past his neck and slid across the floor. It somehow still had the planchette resting on it. I stumbled over and began to move it to every letter it a swift motion. 

 

I D O N T K N OW W H Y I D I E D A R I N -

 

Upon reading the letters, Suzy shrieked again, scooting backwards. Arin stood up, his face drained of color. “Alright, we’re done-“

 

Suzy pushed herself up off the floor from the wall beneath the stairs. “Yeah, we should go-“

 

“STOP! Everyone just FUCKING STOP!” Everyone paused including me, now staring at Dan. His eyes were suddenly as black as night, his arms shaking. A couple of beads of unusual sweat dribbled from his hairline down his face, and his breathing was labored.

 

Now the others were deeply worried. Suzy cautiously stepped towards him. “Dan, are you okay? You look clammy and pale!”

 

“Go get the board,” Dan ordered her, his voice rough. Through his teeth, he added, “Please.”

 

Suzy and Arin threw looks at each other. “Dan-“

 

With a huff, Dan stood up, walked over and forcefully grabbed the board and planchette away from me, returning to his spot on the floor and dropping it on the table. The couple flinched at the sudden aggression. Arin spoke up. “Dan, we should leave now-“

 

“I have my own questions, and I’m going to ask them,” Dan spat in a low tone, placing his fingers back onto the arrow. “You gonna help?” He gave them both a glare I had never seen from him before, so sharp it could slice through skin. His aura was now a deep red color that occasionally danced like fire. Both intimidated and frightened, Suzy and Arin silently sank back down to the floor and slowly placed their hands onto the planchette.

 

Part of me was fully aware that my own emotions were clearly affecting Dan in a super uncool way. But the other half felt so incredibly, emotionally validated by this that I chose not to care. I practically smirked as I rejoined the circle. “Thank you, Dan! Can we get somewhere, please?”

 

After taking a moment, Dan asked, “Are there any other ghosts in this house?” I firmly pushed the arrow. NO.

 

“So you’re the only one?” Correct. YES.

 

Without skipping a beat- “Did you destroy my collection room?”

 

My mouth fell agape as I paused. Now I began to feel anxious, somewhat targeted. I knew where he was gonna go with this. Slowly, I answered. YES. My smile had faltered. “Yes, but…Dan…”

 

~Oh nonono. Wait a second! I’m affecting your mood, Dan! So, please don’t ask me- ~

 

“Why did you do that? Why did you break my stuff? And why now?”

 

My eyes widened, my heart running ice cold. I felt vulnerable like a child, being yelled at by an angry parent.

 

Oh no.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Dan loudly gasped as he felt all the air leave his chest. He became enormously overwhelmed by a flash flood of remorse and despair. It was so awful, so loud- he hadn’t felt anything so bad before, not since he’d gotten sick with mono when he was younger that threw him into his main depression. He didn’t realize he was hyperventilating and crying until his cheeks were wet, and Suzy and Arin were on either side of him, grabbing his shoulders.

 

“DAN!”

 

Suddenly, he was shaking and openly wailing. “I’m sorry! I’M SO SORRY!” he cried, wrapping his arms around himself as he bawled.

 

There was a curtain pulling over his face. It’s so soft and somewhat sweet, even enticing somehow, but it’s heavy, so fucking heavy on his ribcage, and he still can’t breathe, and now he can’t feel his limbs-

 

Dan thought he might’ve spotted a shadow floating somewhere above him before his eyes rolled back into his head and he lost consciousness.

 

~


	6. Calling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this is an alright chapter for y'all. Thanks for reading!

Dan felt himself floating in his head for what seemed like ages. He didn’t know when he “came back down,” from the horrible pressure he’d been stuck beneath, but he could feel his chest rising and falling slowly. Then he was comforted by the sensations of someone gently rubbing his scalp, warm, rivery tingles flowing down his neck and spine. Sometime afterwards, he felt wrapped in something soft and plush, like a cozy burrito.

 

Light flooded his eyelids, and he blinked his eyes open, staring at a ceiling. He was in Arin’s downstairs living room, lying on his couch. Dan groaned and sat up slowly, realizing that his hair was slightly moist, he was in a bath robe and had two layers of blankets covering him. When his vision adjusted, he realized that Arin was sitting across from him in a small armchair. There was a fold-out side table next to him, covered in various teacups filled with different colored liquids. Arin gave him a relieved little smile. “Oh good, you’re up now. Here.” He passed his curly haired friend one of the smaller cups on a matching saucer. 

 

Dan politely took it and absentmindedly took a sip. He scrunched up his nose and peered into the cup. “Mmmh…what is this?” he murmured. The yellowish liquid tasted bitter and oddly peppery.

 

“Calendula tea,” Arin answered, then gestured to the cups next to him. “Suzy did a lot of research- she says you should drink all of these. To, like…cleanse your spirit, or something.” Arin scooted closer to him, looking concerned. “Do you remember what happened?”

 

Dan finished the cup quickly so he wouldn’t have to dwell on the flavor, passing it back to Arin. “We were at the house doing Ouija. And…t-the ghost…” He shuddered as he remembered the total catastrophe of emotions falling onto him. He took a deep breath to reassure himself his lungs were still working, then peered at Arin. “Did it attack me?”

 

A voice called from the hallway- “Not exactly, but it like, may have kind of possessed you, or something like that.” Suzy walked towards them, carrying folded clothes in her hands. She stood next to Arin and looked over Dan with a worried expression. “She made you feel her emotions, I think. Do you feel okay now?”

 

Dan nodded. “I think so, just really tired.” He had a fatigue that he normally only got after long tour hours and no sleep. He threw both Arin and Suzy a serious look. “She was definitely throwing her feelings on me, but I didn’t realize at first that they weren’t mine. God, it was awful…she felt so terrible about destroying my room. Like she wanted to die again and again, or something…and it still makes no fuckin’ sense…” Dan sighed, rubbing his forehead, which still held a hint of pressure. “Sorry I flipped out on you guys. I wasn’t myself.” He stirred uncomfortably on the couch. He absolutely hated the idea that something he didn’t even understand could have that kind of power over him.

 

Suzy sat down on one of Arin’s armrests, holding up a hand to Dan. “Nono, this was my fault- I totally should’ve scoped out the place first before trying to communicate with it. I’m sorry for getting you hurt.” She gave him a small, guilty-yet-sympathetic smile and passed him the pile of clothes, which he set in his lap. He noticed a new silver pentagram necklace lying neatly atop his t-shirt. “I saged and washed your clothes, sorry if they smell smoky for a while. Arin washed your hair. And I know you normally like six-pointed stars, but those are for inviting energy into your heart. The pentagram should help ward off intrusive stuff instead, so keep that on, even when you’re sleeping. You might have spirit sickness for a day or two, so you’ll wanna take it easy.”

 

Dan’s eyes widened a little at the term. “Spirit sickness?”

 

“Yeah, like…leftover energy fluctuations from the encounter. It’s nothing super serious. I’m so sorry, Dan.”

 

Dan didn’t know what else to say. They just sat silently for a minute. Then Arin glanced up at him. “So the ghost felt guilty about your room?”

 

“Yeah, like…like she didn’t have any control over herself in the moment.” Dan sighed. He smiled a little, he felt like laughing at the absurdity of his situation. “This is fuckin’ insane…”

 

“It’s not unusual for some ghosts to be violent,” Suzy said in a lower tone. Then her eyes lit up with a new thought. “Oh, but the broom! Do you think she was maybe trying to help afterwards?”

 

Dan blinked back at her. “…I hadn’t thought of that. I was too busy being scared shitless out of my own house.”

 

Arin couldn’t help but chuckle at this, trading cups with Dan again. “I think we should just assume that the ghost is irrational and dangerous. So, what do you wanna do about it? Buy an exorcism, or something?”

 

Suzy shook her head at that response. “No, he doesn’t need to do that. I don’t think it’s evil, so it shouldn’t be as hard to get rid of. But it might take some time…” She looked at Dan. “You can keep crashing here, and I’ll look up banishing spells for ya. We’ll figure something out.”

 

“Thanks, guys. I’ll go home eventually though. I mean, I gotta deal with her too, sooner or later,” Dan said with a yawn, followed by a frown. 

 

Arin read his expression. There was more. “But?”

 

Dan shrugged, looking bothered. “Oh, you know…it’s just…what if, like, she has a soul…and it’s just stuck there? Then what?” He looked at them questioningly.

 

Suzy just returned a quizzical look. “I don’t know. There’s only so much you can do. I mean, we’re the ones who are still alive, right?” She stood back up, patting Dan on the shoulder on her way into the kitchen, carrying some of the used cups. “You gotta do what’s best for you first.”

 

“If I were you, I’d call your land lord,” Arin added. “Cuz, uh, if somebody died in my house, then I would want an explanation.”

 

“Yeah, seriously…” Dan said quietly, sipping the new flavor. Better, lavender. He drank the plethora of teas silently, his mind filling up with more questions as each cup emptied in his weary hands.

~

The day turned into evening quickly, and Dan spent most of it in the guest room upstairs, to his dismay. But he wanted a quieter evening, and Arin and Suzy were playing Overwatch in the living room. He was trying (rather unsuccessfully) to pick up Moby Dick where he left it off, on his phone. His mind was too distracted, thinking of the Ouija session. He thought of how frustrated the ghost had felt, how upset she was that nobody seemed to understand her. The anger and sadness felt so damn real. ~“I don’t know why I died, Arin…”~ And the ghost was quickly learning his friends, but didn’t even know about herself? Dan didn’t know anything about paranormal activity, but that still confused him.

 

He heard someone coming up the stairs, and when Suzy passed his doorway heading to the bathroom, he called her. “Hey, Suz. I have a question.”

 

She stopped in his doorway. “Yeah?”

 

“Uh, when the ghost said it didn’t know who it was, or why it had died…like…why wouldn’t it know those things? Can ghosts get amnesia, or something?” He chuckled at the dumb question.

 

Suzy folded her arms, thinking a minute. “Well, I’m not an expert on this stuff or anything, and the ghost could totally be lying, so be careful. But, uh…usually whenever anyone has amnesia, if it’s not just an illness, then it’s because they’ve got a ton of trauma.”

 

Dan looked down. That made more sense. “Trauma. So, her death…”

 

“Might’ve been super horrible. Maybe she’s blocking all that out. But who knows? We don’t know who or what she is.” They both paused a minute. Dan was aware that Suzy’s eyes were crossing over him again. Then she spoke up. “I’ve got a question for you too, Dan.”

 

He raised an eyebrow, feeling self-conscious. “What?”

 

“So…the whole emotion thing…” Suzy looked him in the eyes, her expression sincere. “You’ve never felt that kind of thing with people before, have you?”

 

Dan was surprised. “What? Like, feeling what they feel?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

He shook his head. “No, I’m just a regular, sensitive dude who cries when he rewatches The Karate Kid.” He giggled a little but still looked concerned. 

 

Suzy placed a hand on her hip, looking pensive. “Okay. I just ask because, from what little I do know, sometimes ghosts are attracted to, like…spiritually sensitive people.”

 

Dan looked skeptical. “So, you think I’m like, a medium or something?”

 

“Nono, not a medium, but maybe an empath, or something like that.” She waved him off. “Anyway, I just wondered, sorry. The ghost affecting you doesn’t necessarily mean anything like that. Just…if you ever found out that were the case, or something similar…” she gave him a small smile. “…we’re here to help.”

 

Dan smiled. His friends were so sweet. “Thanks, Suz. I’ll be sure to tell you guys first.”

 

She left, and he curled up on his side on the bed, staring at the wall. He held up the silver pentagram that he was wearing in between his fingers, watching the hall light glint off its face. He wondered if there was something hidden in his childhood that perhaps he’d missed, before his eyelids drooped and he drifted into deep sleep.

~

Despite Dan’s current condition, he insisted on rejoining Arin in the Grump office the following day, rather than staying at their place alone. Even though they were already well caught up on episodes for the month, Arin’s personal work didn’t take very long. Dan seemed extra restless, so they both figured a shorter recording session wouldn’t kill anyone. 

But before they met each other in the Grumping room, Matt approached Dan, who was lying on the little couch behind Arin’s desk. “Knock-knock, Danny boy. I fixed the audio on that card you gave me.”

 

Arin turned in his seat, and Dan suddenly sat up. “Oh? Were you able to clean it up all the way?”

 

“Yeah, it wasn’t too bad, just distorted for some reason.” Now Matt put on his sort of trademark, mischievous smile. “Did, uh…did a fan send it to you? Or a girlfriend, or something? Cuz…I uh, I found it…’interesting’.” Matt emphasized the word.

 

Dan and Arin threw each other a look. Then Dan stood up. He dodged the question. “Can I listen to it?”

 

Dan sat down at Matt’s desk. The video was pulled up- the black silhouette of some stranger staring back at him once again, making some of the hairs stand up on his arms. Before he started the video, he pointed to the screen, looking at his editor. “Quick question – what do you see right there?”

 

Matt gave him a look, like he thought it was a trick question. He awkwardly smiled again. “Uh, a hallway. So the chick was standing behind the camera?”

 

Dan ignored him again and put on the bulky, noise-cancelling headphones and pressed play on the video. 

 

The soft-spoken, gentle, and higher-pitched voice caught him by surprise. The voice also sounded a little rushed. There was a lot more there in the seconds of static than Dan would’ve previously thought.

 

{ “Hello Danny. You don’t know me…but I live here. Well, not live, actually, but…anyway, thank you for…your music. Your singing makes me so happy. I love Skyhill so much, and all your new NSP stuff is wonderful too.” 

Now the voice began to waver.* “Listen…I, uh…I’m really sorry about your room. I-I don’t…I don’t know what happened. But I-I’ll fix it. I’ll fix it. So, please…um…” There was the unmistakable sound of sniffles. Then a pause, and a deep sigh. “…Sweet dreams, Dan.” }

 

He stopped the video, silently staring for a moment, his mouth slightly agape. There was a twist of odd reactions within him. Firstly , that the response was exactly opposite of what he had initially expected, which was something menacing or threatening. Secondly, that with the sound of her voice, the reality of this particular entity was sinking in, pouring like ice-water into his veins. ~She’s a real girl. An actual person.~

 

He didn’t really know what to say. Without even asking for the memory card back, he just stood up and left the room, leaving Matt standing there, confused.

~

Arin got into the Grump recording room after Dan. After closing the door, he plopped down on the couch next to him and looked at him quizzically. “So? How was it?”

 

Dan was a little bit spaced out as he stared at the TV screen. But he knew Arin could read him, so he quickly replied, “The ghost is definitely a girl. She said hello to me like I thought she did.”

 

Arin leaned in, suddenly interested. “Yeah? What else did she say?”

 

Dan looked at his feet a moment before he responded. “She…just apologized for the room again. Said she didn’t know what happened.” In a strange effort to control the situation, Dan smiled and gave a small giggle before looking back at his cohost. “Man…what even is my life right now?”

 

Arin laughed, understanding the need to break the tension. “I’ve never heard of a ghost apologizing before. I guess you really know how to charm ‘em, Dan,” he said with a grin. Then his look turned sympathetic. “Don’t worry, Suzy’ll find a way to get rid of it for you. If anyone can do it, she can. Holly would probably help too, if we asked.” Not the type of person to dwell too much on things he didn’t understand, Arin switched on the TV. “Whatdya wanna play today?”

~

It didn’t matter what they’d chosen to play. Although Dan was talented at holding a continuous conversation with Arin for the show, his mind was on a completely different planet today. He was making a list of important mental notes of what he’d learned so far.

 

#1: As stated before, the ghost was a real, speaking person.  
#2: She knew Skyhill. That dated her as far back as 2007, if not farther…  
#3: Her feelings could make Dan sick, so he needed to be extra careful around her.  
#4: She had heavy amnesia. As Suzy stated, it could be caused by some sort of trauma.  
#5: Atop of that, the ghost was somewhat emotionally unstable (and had the potential to destroy the entire house.)

 

And, the fact that seemed to both bother and astonish Dan the most:  
#6: She was one of his fans. Really.

 

Jesus Christ.

 

Dan weighed some options in his head. Like Arin had suggested, he needed to talk to his land lord and see if he could find out about any strange occurrences at the house before he’d moved there.

 

He also needed to find out what happened that had set off the ghost in the first place. That would be a lot trickier. Dan wrapped the blanket tighter around himself as he felt a wave of chills wash over him.

~

The first half of the recording session went smoothly, despite Dan’s distractions. However, in the remaining hour, he felt that he was sliding downhill as he laid farther back on the couch, his eyelids fluttering.

 

Even though most everyone was in the office and Arin was sitting right next to him, Dan was sensing a growing, acute feeling of loneliness, tugging on him like a weight at the bottom of a pool in his chest.

 

Arin glanced over and brought him back. “Hey, you doin’ alright?”

 

Dan murmured and slowly sat up, and pulled the blankets off him. “Yeah, I’m good. I, uh, I just need to take a leak.”

 

“Alright, lemme know how it goes,” Arin said, kneeling on the carpet in front of the console to grab the next game.

~

Dan decided to use the Portal-themed bathroom. It was on the opposite side of the building, near the entrance. 

 

Locking the door, he sauntered over to one of the mirrors on the wall. Beneath the blue lighting, he did look unusually gaunt today, his cheekbones slightly hollow.

 

When Dan was convinced that no one was outside the door, he blew out a sigh, closed his eyes, and followed his intuition. He serenely began to sing to himself.

 

“Hands on the water, I find  
That it's impossible to make you change your mind  
And where the border divides  
I see the darkness that is haloed in your eyes…”

 

His eyes flew open and he groaned. A sudden state of euphoria bloomed up from deep within his chest. It was so overwhelming that he fell back down atop the toilet, his legs wobbly. He let out an exhale, glassy eyed as the feeling rose to a wonderful, elated crescendo. Then, as quickly as it came, it gently fluttered away from him, like flower petals in a light breeze.

 

When the weird high ended, Dan blinked away his dizziness, breathing deeply, his face flushed pink. “Hah…h-holy…”

 

~…Is that…how you feel?~

 

He just stared blankly back into the Portal mirror, hoping he could get some answers soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I was sitting on the floor in the living room, cross legged at that little coffee table. I had both of my hands atop it, clasped together tightly. 

 

Somewhere along the way, I had become a little girl again. I was wearing a Sunday dress that I think Mom had gotten me when I was nine. I absolutely hated the thing; ridiculously frilly, with pastel yellow lace, of all colors. It was another seemingly insignificant thing that meant so much more to me now.

 

Tears fell down my face, but for once, they were bittersweet. I smiled as I stared up at the lights above me. I was humming, absolutely buzzing from what remained of Dan’s pleasant energy in my aura. My words slurred together as the melody left my lips.

 

“Oh Lord, do you see us breaking down?”  
“Oh Lord, do you hear us calling out?”

 

For once, I wasn’t afraid. 

 

I knew he was going to come home.


	7. Little

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Taps the Major Warnings/Tags vigorously for remainder of story*
> 
> [ ] = flashback segment
> 
> Thanks everyone for following! This is technically the first half, but I thought you'd want an update soon, so here it is.  
> How's NaNoWriMo treatin' y'all? :P

[ When I first saw the street sign on the corner, I’d misread it, thinking it had said “Drowning Ave”. The R had been thrown in by my imagination, desperately in need of a distraction. 

 

It didn’t really matter- I was already heavily beginning to dissociate, floating somewhere outside the window of the Land Rover. We were parked along the side of the road, some nondescript neighborhood away from prying eyes.

 

I saw myself there, sitting in the passenger seat. My arms were wrapped around my torso, and, God…I was a mess. Make-up smeared with salt-tracks, hair greasy and unkempt, clothes disheveled, as if they were thrown on. I was looking out the window, head tilted down as my body quietly trembled.

 

“Hey.” A dark, hoarse voice from the driver’s side. “Look at me.” When I didn’t lift my gaze, large, calloused fingers gripped my chin, forcing my face towards him. Fearing some other reaction, my anxious eyes met his.

 

I couldn’t tell if he had changed overall, or if something that had been drifting underwater had finally risen to the surface. It was so strange- like we were in a room outside the real world. 

 

A little over an hour ago, we were just chatting with each other at the dining table over coffee, nonchalantly talking about school. It wasn’t our first encounter either; I’d had lunch with Andrew at least a handful of times while I waited for her to get off work.

 

That day, I thought we could both bond over her...and maybe he’d understand how I felt, or…I thought…

 

I thought…

 

I thought they were just incompatible with each other. She was always complaining, when he was away. But, once they were together…he took her into her arms, and her face just lit up…

 

Well…I didn’t have the truth until it had snapped in front of me. It dragged me by my hair across the hardwood floor, my knees trailing blood behind me. Through my own mud as I screamed…

 

Now those azure eyes bore into me, like he wanted to leave a deep scar there. His teeth were gritted together beneath his beard- I thought he might hit me or start yelling. I flinched as he reached across my lap to throw open the passenger side door. “Get out,” he barked.

 

He didn’t have to tell me twice- I pulled away and tumbled out of the car onto the sidewalk. My aching legs gave out and I fell into the grass of someone’s yard. When I pathetically looked back at him, he was still staring at me unwaveringly. His words felt like small rocks being thrown at me as he spat them. “Don’t ever come back. You hear me?”

 

I began to fall back into myself and that sensation was nauseating. Before he closed the door, I knew I had to get the words out. Before the door disappeared for good. “A-are…are y-you gonna t-tell her?” I cried out, looking up at him as my periphery began to splotch and blur.

 

The smallest hint of a smirk at the corner of his mouth. He chuckled and shook his head. “You are the dumbest cunt…” he murmured mostly to himself.

 

I watched as he slammed the door shut. Before he drove away, he lowered the window. One final warning, a deep growl. “If you tell anyone…you’ll never see the light of day ever again.”

 

I didn’t watch the vehicle leave the curb. I gripped the signpost as I felt something black spread across my chest. No one would see it, but it was there. The stain.

 

I held on tight as heavy vertigo hit me and I bent over, vomiting into the grass. I didn’t notice that rain had begun to bounce against my back.

 

He never had to threaten me at all. My light was already dimming beneath the overcast clouds. ] 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Dan waited one more day before he returned to the house, although he spent the time with Arin out on the town. Later, they enjoyed a hotpot dinner with Brian and their music producer to discuss plans for the next Starbomb album.

 

It seemed like Arin kept glancing over at him, expecting Dan to bring up his new trouble with their band mates, but he opted instead to focus on work-related topics. Sean would have listened, but Dan didn’t desire another reason for Brian to start teasing him again.

 

That night, before bed, Dan broke the news to Arin and Suzy. “I think I’m gonna go home tomorrow.”

 

They were both surprised. “You sure?” Arin asked. “Aren’t you scared of what might happen?”

 

“Yeah, I am a little bit,” Dan admitted, his hands in his pockets. “But, uh…I think I might have a slightly better idea of what I’m dealing with now.” His eyes knowingly passed over to Suzy.

 

The couple nodded at him with some uncertainty. “Okay, I mean, it’s your house…but if anything else dangerous happens, you basically have us on speed dial,” she said, folding her arms. “I’ll do some research and let you know when I can come over and hopefully banish it.”

 

“What are you gonna do if it attacks you again? Maybe I should stay overnight,” Arin added. “You needed help cleaning up the bedroom anyway.”

 

Dan shook his head. “Nah, it’s alright, I’m not gonna mess with the room right now. And she attacked me because she was frustrated with how we handled the Ouija session. I’m not planning on talking to her, I’m just hoping she’ll just leave me alone if I ignore her,” he said rather casually as he walked down the hallway towards the guest bedroom at the top of the stairs. He wondered if the other two saw him blink a few times.

 

“Well, I dunno if that’s ever helped anyone with a troublesome ghost before,” Suzy said skeptically from within the bathroom.

 

Dan just smiled at them both, holding up the pentagram on the chain around his neck. “I’ll do everything you told me to, I promise. And if there’s even a little sign of crazy shit, or if I feel weirdly sick, I’m outta there,” he said with his signature giggle, walking into the bedroom.

 

Arin and Suzy shared a concerned look. Arin sighed. “Alright, but we’re giving you breakfast before you leave. I haven’t made you my French toast yet!” he called from in front of the mirror as the couple grabbed their toothbrushes.

 

“Sounds great to me! G’night, you two.” Dan closed his door and collapsed on the bed, trying to formulate a plan in his head as he stared at the ceiling.

 

“Goodnight, Dan.”

 

~

 

Dan returned to his house the following afternoon. When he slowly opened his front door, the cool, stale air crashed into him as he stepped inside. The first thing he noticed was how still everything was; it looked as though nothing was out of place this time, except for the fact that Suzy had left the boxed Ouija board and candles off to the side atop his coffee table. He tried to remain quietly perceptive, looking all around as he sauntered upstairs to drop his jacket off on his bed. The “sickness” he had retained from the last couple of days seemed to have faded away. 

 

Although nothing appeared to have changed, he took a step into the “disaster room,” to check it out once more. 

 

He gasped as another wave of something ran into him- it almost felt literally like the force of water, pushing him slightly backwards. No, shoving him out. It was also another emotion, only this time, it seemed to encompass the entire room within its own atmosphere. When Dan was backed into the hallway, the feeling disappeared. 

 

Dan focused on keeping the sensation at a distance from his chest. He knew what it felt like, but he wanted to be sure. Cautiously, he reached a hand out and passed it through the doorway.

 

This time, the sensation only ran up to his forearm, but it was disturbing enough for him to pull away quickly. He stared into the room, trying to see a source as he rubbed his hand. “…What the hell is wrong with this place?” he muttered softly. ~It feels like…~ Like pure disgust, with a hint of something else…shame? Like someone had spat all over him and then proceeded to mock him. Or maybe they had poured something toxic onto him, covered him in wriggling, writhing worms…germs in muck, all over his skin, and he was desperate to wash them off- before anyone else could see…Get it off- Get it off! - 

 

Dan looked down and realized he was compulsively scratching his arm a little hard, the lines across it a harsh red. He quickly stopped himself and focused on his breath like Suzy had taught him. “Jesus.” He looked at the open doorway with wonder. ~This house might have more problems than a ghost.~

 

Oh, right, the ghost girl. Dan had a suspicion that she wasn’t near the disaster room, but he hadn’t yet seen or heard any sign of her. However, he wasn’t planning to grab her attention right away. Instead, he rubbed his arm, shrugged off the weird vibes and walked back downstairs.

 

Pretending it was any other day, he dropped off some teas Suzy had gifted him into his cupboard and kept out a ginger blend to brew. Glancing at the now-swept pile of broken ceramic, he grabbed his clean unicorn mug from the table and got to work with his French press and a tea kettle. 

 

He allowed his phone to distract him for a few minutes before Dan finished brewing the tea, poured it, and carried it back into the living room. He had a familiar sense of déjà vu as he sat down on the couch, taking a few tentative sips. He took pauses in between, but there was still silence. 

 

Remembering the previous session, he was quite a bit more nervous. Dan took the time to follow some simple instructions from Suzy. ~Deep breaths, imagine the banishing pentagram, imagine a protective bubble, focus on a clear intention.~ After a few minutes of meditation, his anxiety had simmered. Taking a few more sips of tea, he then cleared his throat and looked around. ~Well, here goes…~ “Um, hello? Ghost girl? Are you here?” 

 

Two loud, almost immediate knocks responded from his kitchen table, causing his head to jerk towards it. His heart was beginning to pound. But he needed to continue. “Ah, uh, uhm…hi.” He cleared his throat, trying to concentrate. “I…I got your message. The one on the camera, I mean.”

 

There was a long pause. Dan thought for a moment that she had walked away. Then he cursed and almost tossed the rest of his tea into his lap as the coffee table moved an inch to the left. The Ouija board scooted across the table until it was in front of him.

 

Alarm bells were ringing in Dan’s head, so he stood up quickly, backing away from the board. He held up his hands in protest. “Listen, I- I’m sorry. I can’t. I mean…I- I have to protect myself this time.” He lowered his arms, feeling a little guilty. “I’m sorry. I hope you understand what I mean?” He phrased it like a question as he stared at the board. ~Oh God, what am I doing? This is a horrible idea.~

 

Another pause. Then Dan’s eyes widened as he watched the Ouija Board simply unbox itself, the lid falling to the floor. He crept back towards it, feeling slightly terrified as the planchette began to move on its own across the words. He forced himself to read all the letters.

 

I M \ S O \ S O R R Y \ A B T \ E M O T I O N S.  
(Pause, then continued). D O N T \ K N O W \ R U L E S \ 4 \ B E I N G \ G H O S T \ Y E T. (Stop).

 

Well. That answer was so absurd that Dan waited a moment before he gave a hearty, giggly laugh aloud. He felt like there was something oddly sincere (and somewhat funny) in the response. He moved closer, sitting on the armrest of the couch. “I…it’s okay, my friends helped me out. Um…” He thought to himself a moment, wondering which route to take. He didn’t want to dwell on many negatives, in case it would upset her. He decided against bringing up the disaster room again. She appeared to understand casual talk. ~Man, this is so bizarre. A ghost is speaking to me.~ “So…you’re a fan of…of my music?” he asked awkwardly, not entirely sure how to lead the conversation.

 

The planchette practically flew to YES. He couldn’t help but chuckle. “That’s really sweet. I’ve never had a…an invisible fan before. I hope you forgive me, I don’t really know the rules about any of this either.” Remembering what he was there for, Dan’s gaze softened as he peered down at the board. “Um, so…do you know how long you’ve been here?”

 

(A pause). Y E A R S.

 

So she had existed long before him and Barry. Okay. Dan was careful about his next question. His tone became gentler, one hand on his chest fiddling with the pentagram behind his t-shirt. “Alright. How come…why didn’t you say hello to us earlier?”

 

C O U L D N T \ D O \ A N Y T H I N G. (Stop). And, as if she anticipated Dan’s response, she added-  
D O N T \ K N O W \ W H Y \ C A N \ N O W.

 

Dan blew out a sigh, his mind wandering a moment. Then he continued. “Hey, listen. So…I want to help you. To help you remember who you are, a-and…” He didn’t know how to finish the sentence.

 

She ended it for him. A N D \ G E T \ R I D \ O F \ M E.

 

Dan was quick to jump up again and back away, sensing a possible threat there. “Nono, I don’t mean that! I…I…”

 

Dan lost his train of thought as he stared at the board. Because on the other side of the table, something was slowly forming in his vision. A tiny silhouette had appeared there. It was a little lighter color than what he’d seen before. It wasn’t detailed, yet he thought he could see the curves of long hair, maybe shoulders. Nevertheless, it was unnerving, seeing that shadow again. Dan’s words tumbled out of his mouth with his erratic breath as he watched in both awe and growing fear, his legs shaky. “Holy fuck, I…I- I think I can see you! Y-you’re sitting by the board, right?”

 

The shadow became an inch taller, and Dan could now physically feel a pair of eyes upon him. He froze as he stared at the frightening being. And then he realized it’s shape, which threw him off a bit. His brow furrowed. “Wh…Why are you so small though?”

 

The shadow made an unusual, quivery movement and Dan watched as it continued to push the planchette. He thought he saw fingers.  
E M O T I O N S \ A F F E C T \ G H O S T \ B O D Y.  
(Pause.) F E E L \ L I K E \ C H I L D \ T O D A Y.

 

Dan’s eyes widened with this new information. “Whoah. That’s…interesting.” Something was stirring, shifting inside him now. He took a couple tentative steps towards the shadow. After a second of contemplation, he added, “I think everyone feels like a little kid from time to time. I know I do.” No response to that. He blew out a sigh. “I don’t know how you’ve been treated in the past, but I really do want to help you. Do you believe me? I mean…you’re a different kind of gh…of person, right?” Dan started to question the weight of his words as he carefully watched the small silhouette.

 

Dan tensed up as he became acutely aware of something “pressing against” the air around him. He began to feel different, and he knew that was a sign that his personal space was being tested, but he couldn’t convince himself to step away from the girl this time. There were emotions there that he felt all too familiar with. A child that had been left behind...

 

She solidified his feeling of tenderness with her response. Y O U \ R \ D I F F E R E N T \ T O O.  
A pause, then another message that gave Dan a waterfall of chills: D A N N Y \ D O N T \ U \ K N O W.

 

He gulped and noticed immediately when a heavier, sadder energy blanketed the room, against his “bubble,” as well as his growing sympathy (despite his own self-warnings to remain distant). Thinking of the chaos of their first encounter, he tried to steer the conversation out of deeper seas. He remembered how he felt during the Grump session two days ago. “Do you get really lonely when nobody’s around?”

 

The pressure rose around him as she responded. It was more of a command. P L E A S E \ S I N G \ 4 \ M E. 

 

Dan became concerned now, feeling the air tighten around him. He began to worry about whether he could control the girl. ~Fuck, don’t do this again, please…~ He closed his eyes and concentrated hard on keeping the buzzing energy at bay, like Suzy told him. He began to feel fatigued.

 

It was as though she’d read his mind. He felt the tension lift from his shoulders; when he opened his eyes, the shadow was farther back now, sitting below the table. 

 

Even though she wasn’t near it, the planchette on the board moved. I M \ S O R R Y.  
Then, U \ R \ S A F E.

 

Dan took a few deep breaths, staring at her. His feelings were scattered. ~This poor girl…~ He knew how his singing made her feel. She probably just wanted some relief or comfort, and wouldn’t anyone else want that in her shoes? Hell, what if he had died, forgotten his name, his friends, his life, and gotten stuck here too? Nevermind the death- just the thought of forgetting everything he'd ever known spiked his nerves.

 

Frowning at the little shadow, Dan softly asked, “Are you scared?”

 

He watched as the shadow condensed and became black. He read the letters of the Ouija board and felt his stomach drop.  
P L E A S E \ H E L P \ M E. 

 

Dan sensed the innocence in the statement but watched as the room slowly began to darken again around him. He knew he had only a moment to act. He quickly stepped forward and knelt down next to the couch so that he was at her level. Something almost paternal arose within him as he spoke gently to her. “It’s okay, I’m right here. I’m right here to help you.”

 

Dan didn’t realize that the entire room was subtly rumbling until it stopped. But the shadow remained still. He took a breath, closed his eyes, and began to sing the first thing that came to his mind, primed from her message. “Hey, Little Danny, don’t you cry…”

 

The emotion in the room immediately relaxed, so much that after a minute, he opened his eyes just to see if she was still there. The silhouette was still beneath the table but it had brightened to a mesmerizing, silver color. He watched in wonder as its edges began to vibrate. Her emotions didn’t seem to bombard him this time, but Dan still felt something blooming in his chest. When he had finished the first chorus, he realized that a tear had fallen down his face, and swiftly wiped it away. 

 

Dan sang to the second chorus, then stopped. His head felt airy, and as he looked around, he realized that the room appeared brighter than before. He looked at the silver being. “Do you feel better now?” he quietly asked her.

 

The edges of the shadow danced erratically a moment. Then Dan cried out in astonishment as the being jumped onto his chest, knocking him backwards with the force. He braced himself in fear but the awful feelings he’d experienced before weren’t there. All he could feel was a cold, strong buzzing against his stomach, somewhat electric. When he sat up, it wrapped itself completely around his torso. He blinked down at its “head,” completely perplexed. “AAH! Ah-ahre…are you hugging me?!”

 

The being quickly jumped off him and flew to the edge of the couch. The planchette on the Ouija board went crazy, spouting a fountain of apologies.  
I M S O R R Y S O R R Y S O R R Y I D I D N T M E A N T O –

 

“It’s okay! It’s okay,” Dan said, slowly standing up. He still felt a little jittery, as if some of her excitement had rubbed off on him. “Just… a little warning first, please!”

 

The shadow gave one last apology, then he watched as it slid upwards onto the couch cushion, then stood still. He took that as an invitation. Very cautiously, he walked over and sat down next to her. She didn’t lean into him this time, but instead seemed to sink the opposite direction, lying across the decorative corner pillow. Dan noticed when the vibrations ceased and the atmosphere became tranquil. The planchette moved much slower across the board now. T H A N K \ U \ S O \ M U C H.

 

Dan couldn’t help but smile. “You’re welcome,” he said gently, placing his arm across the back of the couch over her. He glanced at the kitchen and suddenly remembered. "Thank you for sweeping my floor, and washing my favorite mug."

 

They sat quietly for a few minutes, Dan staring pensively at his blank TV screen. ~…Wow.~ He was only beginning to process what he’d gotten into. He peered down at the silhouette. “Girl?” He watched as her edges wavered, and continued. “I, uh…I know you can't remember your name, but I want to call you something. What do you want your nickname to be?”

 

He watched as the silvery shadow shook a few times, then the planchette moved again.

 

Dan raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t expecting that answer. “…Spooky? Are you sure? Isn’t that kind of…self-depreciating?”

 

More vibrations. She seemed unsteady. M E A N S \ S O M E T H I N G.  
(Pause). D O N T \ R E M E M B E R \ W H A T.

 

“Hm, okay. Well…it’s nice to meet you, Spooky,” he said politely with a sympathetic smile.

 

This time, Dan thought he heard a faint noise moving along with her vibrations. It sounded like a cascade of wind chimes.

 

~

 

Dan didn’t know if ghosts could “sleep,” but after a few more minutes, Spooky didn’t appear to move, completely content against the cushion. Dan slowly excused himself to go to the bathroom.

 

He reviewed their entire interaction and his own feelings as he washed his hands and face. Yes, it was absolutely incredible that he’d connected with a freaking ghost. No, for some reason, it didn’t feel as entirely unnatural as it should have. He couldn’t decide what that meant for his current sanity level.

 

And then there was the disaster room…his brow furrowed. There was something in there, but it clearly wasn’t a ghost. Maybe a leftover energy from the past? He couldn’t ask Spooky without her losing her cool. He’d have to see if his land lord could help him out there.

 

He pulled out his phone to call her, hoping she could provide more clarity, and that she wouldn’t think he was completely nuts.

 

On his way out, he glanced at his reflection. He thought his skin might’ve looked a touch sallow today.

 

He shrugged it off as he dialed the number.  
Must’ve been a trick of the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the chapter!
> 
> (On a different note, there's a fandom-relate concern I sorta want to chat about with everyone because I'm curious. Basically it's just in relation to people's opinions regarding romance/porn and real person fiction. I'm not gonna name drop, but another author brought up the important issue of the quote "toxic side of fanfic writers" and it made me feel really self conscious about some of my writing. Everyone will have different opinions of course and I am in no way looking down on other authors here (I love the GG romance stories, and some are super well written) but it just made me really self conscious about how I personally have used Dan and the Grumps' images for my own means, and how they might feel about that...I felt a little shameful and like maybe it would be more "morally correct" to delete some of the romance elements of my stories and at least just stick to drama. Even then, I still might be crossing some lines. Anyways...I'm not great at expressing myself on that, but anyone have thoughts? Feel free to comment whatever you feel, I won't judge cuz I think both sides have some really good points. I'm just really personally conflicted on where my fic writing should go in the future and if I should make some alterations.
> 
> Anyways, thanks again for reading!


	8. (Updates & Announcements)

Hello everyone! How were your holidays? Is 2019 treating you well? I thought I’d post another update, since I’m terrible at writing new chapters on any sort of regular schedule. I am so awfully sorry for anyone who waits for my account to post! (Just think if me as Shigure from Fruits Basket – completely unreliable when it comes to “due dates”). I’ll do my best but at this point, with work, homework, and a few other creative hobbies I’m juggling, keep me bookmarked but maybe on the back-burner. I just can’t make any promises now. Sorry. But I thought I’d let y’all know that I’ve seen your messages, and I know it’s been over a month, and I’m still happy to hear from other authors and readers. 

I also have a second announcement, which has to do with Saltwater Scars and its possible future (assuming I will have any time to write. Again, I’m so sorry). I have already briefly discussed how Real Person Fiction is sensitive and how I’m beginning to feel uncomfortable pursuing the Romance genre when dealing with real people. 

It kinda drilled that point home when Dan announced his relationship on IG. After all, we have to remember that these are real people we write about, even if we create fictional personas of them. (I respect the polygrumps community to the degree that the Grumps themselves have said it’s okay, but I don’t think I’ll personally be writing smut anytime soon. I also respect other people’s decisions on what kind of RPF they decide to write). That said, I’m giving it a lot of personal thought, and I’m thinking about changing or removing Saltwater Scars. Here’s the options I’ve given myself:

1.) Take it down completely  
2.) Keep it Grumps fiction and rewrite it without romances (although it probably loses a lot of appeal at that point)  
3.) Keep the romance and completely rewrite it as original fiction

Anyone have any opinions one way or another? Let me know. Thank you all so much for reading!

Note: I know that there’s hints here and there of romance in Brand New – I’ve been thinking about removing those too at some point, since they’re not really required for that kind of story, and feel forced in places.)


	9. (Actually Chapter 8): History

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so dang long, and thanks to everyone following this. <3 Love to y'all.
> 
> (As usual, sorry about spacing issues)

Remembering quickly that any future conversations in the house weren’t going to be private, Dan confused Mrs. Sanders by pretending for a few minutes that he was chatting with Arin as he spouted aloud a quick “Sorry, be back later,” and swiftly walked back out his front door before Spooky had any time to bombard him with inquiries. 

While his landlord knew Dan well enough, she was understandably perplexed. “D-dan? Dan? This isn’t Arin, this is Sharon. Sheh-run.” 

Sharon Sanders was a slightly older woman with mid-length, flowing, crimson hair, and a face that said “sweet, Christian grandmother.” However, she also had a boldly contrasting hippie fashion sense that was straight out of the sixties. She visited the house periodically to fix the inevitably leaky pipes, failed water heater, or blocks in the ventilation system. Dan had some suspicions that she had been a little “wilder” in her youth from some of their interactions. Once when she had come over with a plumber to repair the kitchen sink, he saw her carefully eyeing the ceiling. “You both are so clean,” she politely commented. Then she added, “Too clean. When I was in college, I had a marijuana plant growing right in the back of my dorm closet!” Her laugh reverberated off the walls. “They never found a trace of it! And now it’s legal. You can get it in hundreds of types and flavors…like walkin’ into a dang candy store!” Another bright laugh.

~

Dan got into the driver’s seat of his Murano and put the phone back to his ear. “Sorry Sharon, I, uh, I was distracted there for a minute.”

“Well, I’m sure you’re very busy! What do you need, dear? Is the bathroom flooding into the pantry again?”

“Nono, it’s not that.” Thank God, because Dan really didn’t need anything else right now. He began to feel nervously foolish as he stared out his window, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. “It’s just…I just have a question about the house.”

“Okay, what is it?”

~Fuck.~ Dan hadn’t gotten that far. But she seemed open minded, right? “Well, it’s actually more something I noticed, uhh…” He took a brief pause before he continued in a lower voice, looking down. ~Guess I’ll just dive right in.~ Did it really matter what she thought of him in the long run? “Uh, when I’m not home…I noticed that…sometimes my stuff ends up in other parts of the house where I know I didn’t put it. Or…lights will be on that I didn’t have on when I left, and…” Dan felt his face heating up. Even when knowing the truth, it was still embarrassing to try and explain this to someone else. “I changed all the locks in the house this week cuz I was paranoid, so I know it wasn’t you yet, and…do you, uh…do you get what I’m…tryin’ to say?” 

There was a silence on the other end that lasted just a little too long. “Sharon, you still there?”

A sigh before the reply. “Well, I think…” Dan closed his eyes and expected her to start questioning him (“I’m confused, dear. What exactly do you mean?”) further, asking him if she should maybe come over and inspect all the usual repairs (“There might be a leak somewhere, I should come check, don’t want you getting ill…”) 

Her actual response surprised him. “I think that this sounds like something that should be discussed over a hot beverage. Which cafe do you like the most?”

~

They decided on a nearby Starbucks, Dan’s typical go-to whenever he was writing songs or answering emails. They both grabbed some tea and sat at a small table in a corner. 

 

There was a moment where they both shifted uncomfortably, unsure of who should go first. Then Sharon folded her hands in front of her and put on a warm smile. “Well…I’m guessing you don’t want to beat around the bush. You believe that there’s…an unwanted ‘visitor’ in the house, right?” She emphasized the word.

 

They both looked at each other intently and while she was sometimes hard to read, Dan knew that glint in her eye. He nodded and spoke softly, figuring he’d slowly unravel the relevant details. “Yeah…I have a little bit of evidence too. There’s a video at the office I can show you. And…I know this sounds totally crazy, but-“

 

Sharon cut him off with a wave of her palm, still smiling, although her brow began to furrow. “It sounds like you have something to be concerned about.” She pulled her drink closer to her. 

Now the smile faded as her gaze became slightly unfocused, glancing at the table. She lowered her voice. “I’m surprised…that it took this long for something else to happen. But also that it is occurring again at all.” She closed her eyes, taking a sip.

Dan blinked. “W-wait, what?” That definitely wasn’t the reply he expected. He scooted forward anxiously. “You…you know that there’s a spirit? It’s happened before?”

Sharon opened her eyes, and suddenly seemed a little older than before. “Dan…I realize now that I have to apologize to you first before I explain things. I made some wrong assumptions when I rented out the house to you and Barry.”

Dan’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“I assumed that you knew why the rent was so affordable compared to every other home on the block. I thought you knew its history. It was on the news just a couple years prior to you moving in.” Sharon frowned as she continued to drink. “I’m also ashamed to admit that I didn’t tell you because I really needed the extra money at that time. You two looked like you really needed the space and the price. And California state law didn’t require me to disclose the extra information. It was dishonest business, and I’m so sorry. The house had been quiet since the beginning of renovations, so I thought it would be alright for you.”

Dan looked down a moment to process this, then met Sharon’s eyes. He put the pieces together. He did admit that he felt a little betrayed. ~Spooky…~ “So…you didn’t mention that somebody died way before we moved in…and now the house is haunted?”

Sharon’s eyes darkened. Her lip quivered, as if it was hard to get the words out. “A local student…a kind, young woman who was living in the house at the time…was raped and murdered there about six years ago.” Her eyes began to shimmer as she looked back at Dan. “That poor girl. I…I found her a week later. In the basement.”

A chill ran through Dan’s entire body as his mouth fell open.

~  
Dan had very little to go on in regards to Spooky’s appearance, but the woman in the photograph was beautiful. She had a short bob of wavy, brunette hair and warm eyes that went with her sunny smile. It clashed with the jail photo of the grave, black bearded man on her right. His eyes were foreboding and calculating, mild purple circles beneath them. The pit in Dan’s stomach twisted even further as he looked at the two pictures of the basement. He could only glance at the graphic ones: deep scarlet, smeared all over the floor. A hard lump was forming in his throat. 

~Oh, Spooky…~

Sharon had brought up two articles on her phone and passed it to Dan. He scrolled through the pages. WOMAN, 27, FOUND DEAD IN GLENDALE HOME. The following article showed the man in cuffs. The date was a little over a month later. SUSPECT OF CALIFORNIA MURDERS ARRESTED IN TEXAS.

Dan exhaled hard, staring at the girl. He didn’t know what to say. This was one of the prime reasons he avoided watching the news. He hated all of it; the suffering of innocent people and the fuckers who got away with using them one way or another. “This is awful,” he almost whispered, looking up at Sharon. Then he cleared his throat, getting back to business. “It says murders? Plural?”

Sharon’s eyes were somber as she nodded. “He killed one other ex-girlfriend in Northern California. Who knows if there was anyone else left undiscovered in just those four weeks. I’m glad they caught him when they did.” Sharon pointed at the picture. “Colleen Day, the woman here…she met Andrew at the Pasadena City College. She told me she was studying to be a physical therapist and he was getting some sort of business degree, I think. She was the one on the lease, and they got engaged after only three months, so I assumed he might be moving in, or they were going to leave at some point.” She sighed. “I don’t understand it at all. He was always respectful to her as far as I could tell, and his record was clean before this, save some traffic tickets. And they were just so in love, and Colleen was so excited to tell her parents…” Sharon wiped a tear that had escaped her eye. Dan felt that his might fill up soon too. She pointed to his photo. “Andrew got transferred back to California where the case started, and was sentenced to life in prison. The court only had enough evidence for second degree murder rather than first, so he didn’t get the chair right away in Texas. I have my doubts though.” Sharon tapped the screen. “This man is not the man I ever talked to when I saw him. It’s like…like he had a rage that came out of nowhere one day. It must’ve been hiding deep inside him. I think he would’ve hurt someone else if given the chance.”

Dan felt zero sympathy for the man in the moment, but he was beginning to have an upset stomach, so he handed Sharon back her phone and drank some tea. ~She was only 27.~ And this was a few years after Skyhill’s formation. Dan still didn’t know where that fit into the puzzle. If Colleen was a fan, wouldn’t Sharon have said something to him by now?

“So…after this…did you…see her?” he slowly asked. They both knew what he meant.

Sharon shook her head. “I never saw her in the house, but I think I might've heard her. I was only allowed in there a couple of times while the police investigation was going on. I had to be escorted by an officer and I couldn’t touch anything. But on both visits, whenever I passed by that basement door, my whole body got so cold, like standing in a freezer. And once, I thought I heard a muffled…a muffled shout. Like someone with a hand over their mouth while they’re trying to scream.” Sharon and Dan both shivered at this. “It wasn’t until the police had him in custody that I was finally allowed to even use the upstairs rooms. So I started sleeping over a few nights a week. I couldn’t film anything because I didn’t want to be suspicious in front of authorities, but…I briefly noticed a pattern that made me curious.”

Dan scooted in until their foreheads were almost touching. “What happened?” he asked.

Sharon stared at him, unblinking. “I was awoken every single night by a constant banging of the basement door, like someone was just desperately pounding their fists on it, bangbangbangbangbangbang!” She made the motions with her hands. “It was so loud, it scared me half to death, and I don’t know how the neighbors didn’t hear it. It would last about two minutes and then just stop, and that was it. I tolerated it for four nights in a row before I couldn’t will myself to stay anymore. But it always stopped at the same exact time. 2:42 AM, on the dot.”

Dan thought his blood might turn into ice water. He recalled the cracked face of his alarm clock. “A-and…and after that…”

Sharon sat back in the chair now, the tension leaving her looking tired. “I don’t know exactly when it all stopped because I didn’t go back to the house until Andrew was tried and sent to prison. I was invited to Colleen’s funeral but I thought it should be a family affair, although her parents were very grateful that I had found her. They buried her in the back of Memorial View Park in Glendale, even though they were from Northeast LA. They said she deserved peace as soon as possible. I know they did.”

I went back to the house, and didn’t hear another sound. I stopped getting chills, and the basement didn’t even feel bad once I got it cleaned and refurbished. It was like nothing ever happened.” Sharon’s eyes washed over Dan, glancing him over critically with a concerned look. “But it did, and I’m sorry you found out this way instead of just disclosing it to you and Barry four years ago. I would understand if you want to leave, and I would refund your-“

“I’m not gonna move,” Dan said, lifting a hand. “Really, it’s okay Sharon. That’s…a rough climate to rent out a house in, never mind selling it down the line. I’m a little upset yeah, but I’ll be fine.”

Sharon shook her head. “Again, I’m so sorry, and I’ll help you with the house in any way you need. So, do you want to tell me what you’ve seen?” she cautiously asked.

Dan blew out a long sigh. ~No, not really.~ He needed to be extremely careful about what he was going to say. He typically preferred to fight his own battles, and he wasn’t gonna exorcise Spooky immediately unless she was violent towards him. He also needed somewhere to live, and despite its quirks, he liked that house.

And if Spooky was Colleen Day…then she deserved to know.  


How in the hell was he gonna drop this on her? Dan had absolutely no idea how to even go safely near the subject.  


Should he tell her today? ~She’s been waiting actual years to know who she is.~ To finally be free.  


But how do you tell someone that her own fiancé repeatedly used her, bashed her head into the concrete floor, over and over again?  


Jesus Christ.

“Dan?”

He cleared his throat, coming back to the present. “Uh, um…well, like I said, stuff just appears in other places, and the lights are sometimes on...” He quickly considered his options before he decided to be a bit more honest, although he didn’t want to provide the complete truth just yet. “A few days ago, I recorded the upstairs hallway - a broom moved up the stairs by itself. And, I think it might be a girl ghost…because she, uh, washed my dishes and swept my floor.”

Sharon was still for a moment, and then she raised an eyebrow. “Well that’s different. I’ve only really heard that ghost employees of haunted establishments are the ones who like to keep the buildings clean.”

Dan couldn’t help but smile a little. “I never in a million years would’ve pegged you as a paranormal-fan.”

Sharon gave a light chuckle and shrugged. “Oh, well, you know. I used to have more faith in God when I was younger. I don’t know if ‘fan’ is the right word, but I find it all fascinating, and I know what I’ve felt. There’s a lot going on out there we just can’t see, I’m sure of that.”

“Do you think the ghost is Colleen then?” Dan was hoping for more clarity from someone other than the source.

Sharon frowned. “I don’t know, it seems the most likely. But she still had a proper funeral. It’d be so horrible if she hadn’t found peace after all this time, although I can’t say I’d blame her.”

Dan remembered the disaster room. Now that he somewhat knew the tragic context, those gross emotions he’d gotten from it were beginning to fill him with even more dread. He anxiously toyed with his hands atop the table. “Also…there’s something, like…heavy and…residual in the room next to my bedroom. Something feels really wrong when I go in there now. Barry and I never noticed it when it was his bedroom, but he did get cold sometimes.”

Sharon nodded, her expression like stone. “I believe that leftover energy from tragedy is possible, try as we might to wash it away. That was Colleen’s bedroom at one point. I don’t know how long the abuse had been going on, nor do I know all that’s happened with the other tenants. I’ve housed some pretty questionable people though.”

Dan’s heart sank as they both noted what was going unsaid. Then he looked up in surprise as Sharon seemed to be scrutinizing his face, her brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

She frowned. “Dan, do you ever feel sick when you’re in the house?”

He blinked. A firm and immediate warning went off in his mind. ~No.~ He briefly shook his head, the words mechanically falling from his mouth. “Nah, I feel fine. Why?”

“You look under the weather dear, your cheeks are a little off-color. Maybe you should stay with a friend until we get this sorted out.”

Dan suddenly sat back in a more casual pose, arms folded. “I stayed with Arin for a day or two when I first noticed the weirdness going on. Those guys are actually helping me research protection and exorcism-type stuff, so you don’t have to worry about any of that. I’ll take care of it, I promise.” 

~Stay far, far away from my home.~ A thought. 

“But thank you for being sincere, telling me all of this. It’s nice to have the heads up, I guess.”

Sharon’s eyes didn’t leave him now. She seemed to reach some sort of internal conclusion, letting out a sigh. “Okay, but you call me right away if something is wrong, and get out of the house if you ever feel unsafe. I do have some sage you can use to clear out the troublesome bedroom. I recommend keeping that door closed for now.”

“Already noted, believe me,” Dan said with a forced chuckle. Sharon still looked worried.

~

Sharon provided Dan with a few pieces of spiritual advice he’d already gotten from Suzy, then they ended with a more mundane and friendly conversation about work before parting ways about half an hour later.

When Dan sat back in the driver’s seat, he took out his phone and googled the incidents again, bringing up Colleen’s picture and saving it to his phone. The rock sitting in the bottom of his gut was still there and showed no signs of leaving now. He thought of the electric hug he’d received from a silver little girl only an hour ago. ~There’s no way this is gonna end well.~ Fuck.

But before he went home, now he definitely needed to clear his head and decide how to further approach Spooky. Also to find out if Suzy was really onto something about “emotional abilities” or whatever.

He set his GPS for Memorial View Park and started the car. Before he left the parking lot, he squinted at his reflection in the side-mirror. Not seeing anything out of the ordinary this time, he tossed the bundle of gifted sage beneath the passenger seat, grabbed his sunglasses and put the Murano in reverse.


	10. (Chpt 9) Weather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, hope this update is okay. I just kinda cranked it out in my spare time, so I hope it's somewhat enjoyable.
> 
> Some of you might've noticed that I deleted Saltwater Scars. Even if I had known what to do with it, I don't think I was gonna have time to finish it for a while anyway. Sorry again, and thanks for reading, I do appreciate all my visitors. I may do a fun mermaid oneshot instead or something. 
> 
> I guess I'll have to write while I wait impatiently for my Starbomb album to get here. <3  
> Peace.

I couldn’t stop pacing the whole house, my worry spiked so much that my body had apparently aged back into adulthood. The living room was as dark as an overcast sky, but my eyes reflected predicted rain. “He lied. He went to get tools to exorcize me, immediately after he told me he was gonna help!” I shouted as the walls rumbled a moment. I took a deep breath and sighed, fighting to keep my composure. He said he wasn’t going to do it. But I couldn’t think of any other reason why Dan would leave so abruptly, except if he was afraid. “I only saw him for a second, but he looked pretty pale as he ran out the door.” I sat back on the couch, hugging my knees to my chest as I stared at the window. I felt like a baby as I quickly wiped the tears from my eyes. But my fears were justified too, right? And so were his, of course. “I know he’s scared, it’d be really weird if he wasn’t. But he was genuinely being nice to me. Dan can’t fake that,” I insisted to myself. At least, not to my limited knowledge of who he was.

 

It didn’t help me feel any better. Even if I could think of several reasons why Dan would need to call his landlord (the house was naturally falling apart), none of them really justified the lie. Except –

 

“Maybe he thought I’d freak out too much anyway if he told me he was seeing her. That makes sense. Maybe he’s still trying,” I reasoned to myself as I sat up. But my anxious feelings kept stirring with no outlet, suggesting otherwise.

 

Walking up to the window, I traced my fingers atop the transparent, white curtain, along the wall, over to the front door. I curled my hand around the handle. Somehow, it felt colder than me. “It’s not even Dan’s job to try- it’s mine. So let me.” I jiggled the handle, before lifting my hand a little higher. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to will my arm to pass through the wood. I didn’t understand how it could be so solid; Even my fingertips could pass through the windows. With a huff, I shoved myself against the door, pressing it with my entire body. The more I exerted myself, the more resistance I was met with. I gritted my teeth. “Goddamn it, I don’t need someone to save me, and I’m sick of waiting for nothing. It’s my house! Let me out! Let- me- make- a- choice!” I yelled, repeatedly throwing myself against it. 

 

Without warning, I felt as though my side had been pressed against a hot stove. I cried out in pain and fell back, frantically patting it out as though it were a fire, but it was gone as suddenly as it came. I just stared at the door, my arms folded across myself.

 

It was as though it was speaking directly to me. ~You made your decision.~ It felt true, but that only made me angrier. I screamed at it until my tears quickly came back and my throat felt hoarse. 

 

I slumped back down along the stairs in fatigue. All the happiness that Dan had energized me with was now gone. “Yep, I chose this. This is what people choose, right? To rot in a box forever that we can’t leave,” I said bitterly, rubbing my forehead. “I should consider myself lucky. At least I have a TV.”

 

I stared up at the ceiling, feeding some of the morbid notions floating around my mind. “I wonder what happened to my body. I bet it was already eaten up by bugs. But that’s okay, because some ‘Sky Daddy’ will resurrect me, and then I’ll be happy with my family for all eternity. That’s what people say, right?” But I didn’t remember my mine. For all I knew, I didn’t have one. 

I looked back down at the couch. Despite my concerns, the thought of Dan sitting next to me and talking to me made my chest feel warm again. My lips slightly turned upwards. “Even if we didn’t talk for a really long time, you just feel like family, Dan.” I held the banister a moment before my grip weakened. “So…so do what you need to do, I guess.”

 

My hopes certainly didn’t brighten. Something unnamed was nagging at me from within. Smoldering against me, like the locked front door.

~~~~

Memorial View Park was not incredibly grand-looking, although it did span several square miles across Glendale. The automatic iron gates lined with towering palm trees slid open for Dan as he drove along the path eastward towards the back, passing fields of labeled stone, colorful flowers and plastic adornments. 

 

He scanned the area, but he was also trying to use a different method to find the location. He didn’t know if it would work; he wasn’t even sure he understood what following this type of intuition really entailed. He thought maybe it was a little like spiritual gambling. Running your eyes across the black and red numbers, tracking that rolling marble, watching it gradually slow down, until-

 

Dan gasped as a feeling like shocked anticipation momentarily smacked him in the chest. It was nonverbal, but he felt the message as he hit the brakes. After taking a minute to take a breath and check the rearview mirror, he parked his car and stepped outside.

 

The weather was nice today, the sun floating lazily above him as it kept a keen eye out on California. Despite it being fall, he could smell fresh pine needles and mown grass. None of the standing headstones in his vicinity had Colleen’s name on them. But he beginning to see that the tricks wouldn’t follow normal logic. Making sure he was alone, Dan blew out a sigh and thought about Spooky as he closed his eyes, waiting for the space around him to somehow indicate a direction.

 

When nothing happened, he blinked his eyes open. Remarkably, despite the shade of his sunglasses and the trees, his vision caught a distinct flash of white somewhere in his periphery.

 

Dan kept his eye on the ambiguous target and followed the two rows of graves to the right until he was about midway between his car and the far corner of the cemetery. 

 

When he recognized the pale drawing covering a small black square that was planted firmly in the dirt, his mouth fell open as he pulled off his lenses, looking down. “Ho-ly shit.”

 

Covered in mud and debris, the Skyhill CD case stared back up at him from the grass. Above it lay a small, inconspicuous, rectangular headstone, engraved with intricate pink roses along the bottom.

 

Colleen Day  
Born January 17th, 1985  
Died Sept 23rd, 2012  
BELOVED DAUGHTER, SISTER, AUNT & FRIEND  
WE MISS YOU, SUNSHINE

 

The rock in his stomach began to throb. Slowly and with a pained expression, Dan knelt and carefully reached out to the headstone. He tried to seek out Spooky’s energy again (however that could be done), but all he could feel in the quiet space was a faint breeze. Instead, he reached out towards the thin case and lifted it from the grass, gently wiping away the dirt with his jacket sleeve before flipping it open.

 

The CD wasn’t inside, but a dry and crinkled handwritten note fell out. It was in rough cursive.

 

{ I didn’t see her very much, but this was always playing in her car whenever she came around. I can’t say I knew your dreams or desires, but she really loved you. I hope y---f--------oth----he---n   
L-ve, M---- }

 

The bottom of the note was smeared and illegible. Even in its weathered state, Dan saw the tear stains. He furrowed his brow, running his fingers across the words. This time, he coughed and cried out as there was a sudden stab in his chest, a mixture of fear and despair roaming his heart. 

 

A grinning photograph of himself and his mother Debra strangely flashed in his mind as Dan coughed some more, spitting out dark, clotted red spots onto the aged concrete. When Dan stared at the blackened blood with widening eyes, he thought he saw specks of gray within it as it dripped down into the fine lettering on the headstone. ~W-What is that? Ashes?~

 

As soon as he began to feel scared, he blinked and both illusions simultaneously disappeared. The old note and the cracked plastic case remained.

~~~~

Dan was hesitant before he opened his front door. He immediately noticed the unnatural lighting, felt a strong undercurrent of tension as he stepped inside. He didn’t see her anywhere, the house eerily silent. He gulped as he looked around. “S-Spooky? Where are you?”

 

As soon as the words left his lips, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. When he turned around, he cried out and stumbled backward as he was met at chest height with a swirling shadow, only a few inches away. He regained himself with a hand on his chest. He almost forgot that she was a ghost. “Jesus, don’t sneak up on me, please! A-are you okay? You’re…you’re taller.”

 

Dan felt a nerve-wracking sensation of unseen eyes boring into him. He was beginning to feel uneasy. He backed up. “What’s wrong?” He thought of another possibility and his eyes widened. “You are Spooky, r-right?”

 

The planchette made a harsh sound across the wood as it swiftly moved to YES on the Ouija Board. Dan looked over at it, placing a hand on the back of the couch, as if to support himself.

 

He wasn’t relieved. He completely froze as he felt the shadow float closer to him. The board began spelling the same thing over and over. W-H-E-R-E? W-H-E-R-E-W-H-E-R-E-W-H-E-R-E-W-H-E-R-E-

 

“I was at the office with Arin,” Dan spat, staring at the board, his heart thumping. ~Uh-oh.~ As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the planchette flew to NO. Again, swiftly. W-H-E-R-E.

 

Dan wasn’t as great at improvising on the fly as he’d wished. “I- I just needed—t-to get out.“

 

The room briefly shook, dust falling from the ceiling. NO. The shadow slowly slid closer to him.

 

Doubt flooded his mind, along with a new fear. It really wasn’t her. Where was the child from before? He rushed backwards into the kitchen. Without really thinking, he picked up the broom with a shaky hand and held it up with the handle pointed at the dark being. He wasn’t prepared to fight a spirit today. “Ss-stay back! Where is Spooky?!”

 

Like before, the mounting pressure quickly subsided, and Dan took a gulp of air, as though he’d broken the surface of an invisible pool. The seemingly menacing energy that had been hunting him dissipated. 

 

Dan thought he saw the shadow slightly shrink, the edges softening. He was startled again as a drop of liquid from the ceiling hit his face. He blinked, and a few more hit him. He quickly wiped his face and looked for residue but felt only cold water. 

 

With a gentle pitter-pattering, a quiet, slow rain appeared from thin air, the droplets falling into Dan’s kitchen and living room.

 

He couldn’t keep up with this, his face ridden with astonishment. “Wh-whuh-“ The Ouija board slid from the coffee table and onto the floor near his feet. Once it began spelling a slew of apologies, he felt ashamed of the mistake. S-O-R-R-Y-S-O-R-R-Y- I-M-H-E-R- I-M-H-E-R-E-

 

At the same time, Dan saw song lyrics from the album hidden at his side flash through his mind. 

 

[ Throw down your swords ]

 

He instinctively dropped the broom and looked at the shadow with what he hoped was a sincere expression. “I was wrong! I wasn’t being honest. I'm sorry!”

 

The board replied matter-of-factly, S-H-A-R-O-N. O-N-P-H-O-N-E. 

 

The raindrops began to thicken and Dan realized his hair was dampening along with the mood of the room. “H-how are you doing this?! Why is it raining? Can you stop it?” He looked up nervously, worried that old framework could begin to break from the water. Spooky was silent. “Yeah, I went to see Sharon. I just…I didn’t want to scare you, is all.” He couldn’t help but give a mental laugh at the irony. “I’m not trying to get rid of you. Just tryin’ to figure out what’s going on too. Are you sad?” 

 

That’s when he realized the rain wasn’t falling from the ceiling, nor was it truly hitting the floor. Instead it played across the furniture like a projected image, a hologram. Except for Dan himself, patches of cold water spreading along his clothes and giving him shivers.

 

Spooky didn’t answer his questions. Instead, the shadow glided across the floor until she was in front of him again. A part of her extended, and Dan saw fingers, pointing at the mud smeared on his sleeve, and then at his side. 

 

He looked down and realized that she was pointing to the black shape lying beneath his white jacket, which had been entirely soaked through in that particular spot.

 

Dan was as still as a statue. He had another moment of slight panic. ~She’s upset. Do I show her this or not? I can’t hide it now. But if she sees it…what… ~ The reality of the Spooky’s truly unpredictable behavior was slowly seeping into him too. 

 

Spooky opened her misty palm, as if to ask, ‘May I?’ Dan didn’t decide quickly enough what the right choice was. She stepped in front of him and he gasped as her icy-electric hand grasped his shoulder, slithered down his arm, and gently pried back his jacket to reveal the innermost pocket.

 

Dan exhaled, eyes wide. There were shades of gray in her shadow, shifting and swirling. “S-Spooky…I-I don’t know if…you should look at that.” He flinched – with her so close to him, he felt the stab of her emotional wound in his own chest. He looked down where he saw the fuzzy outline of hair as he held up his opposite hand. “I…I’m just worried it might…hurt you somehow.”

 

Dan could feel those unseen eyes drilling into him again. He gulped and watched as the board spelled another question: H-O-W? W-H-A-T-I-S-I-T?

 

“It’s…” Dan had another moment of uncertainty. Something within him warned him, filling him with dread. Yet his hand slipped into the pocket to pull it out and reveal it to her. “This.” He carefully watched her, unblinking and growing nervous.

 

For a moment, Spooky was completely still as she stared at the pale wolf silhouette. He watched as a blurry finger passed across the CD cover. He gasped again as her low emotions somehow drizzled through the barrier that the pentagram had created, dripping onto him with the rain. 

 

Something dark dropped into his gut- a feeling that he hadn’t had in so long. Awful and bittersweet, beautiful…a blade he didn’t think he’d ever feel the blunt of ever again. A pain that felt similar to the well of creative inspiration that this album had drawn from…

 

“Spooky…” He noticed that even her ethereal hand was shaking as she carefully flipped open the case. Small, black hands held up the aged note. 

 

Dan cried out in astonishment as both him and Spooky stumbled to the floor as though she had pulled him down. His breath felt drawn from his lungs as the ghostly rain rapidly changed into a downpour, murky clouds somehow appearing on the ceiling, darkening the room even further, making it feel like the room existed alone in space. But Dan could still see the board near him, frantically flying back and forth from the letters. He could almost hear her shouting them. M-O-M. M-O-M M-O-M M-O-M-

 

“SPOOKY, wait, stop this! AAH!” Dan was tugged so hard by her energy that he fell right in front of the board. He coughed as more water flew into his mouth, pouring down his face. The planchette danced like fire as thunder somehow rumbled above. W-H-E-R-E-W-H-E-R-E-W-H-E-R-E-W-H-E-R-E-

 

‘SPOOKY, it’s okay! PLEASE, I can’t- MMHH-“ Dan coughed harder, blackened water beginning to fly from his lips. He should have sung for her. He should have just sung, dammit! It was too late now. He had no means to calm her as the room began to growl around them. 

 

Clutching his screaming chest, after reclaiming a tiny gulp of air, Dan yelled “CAHL…COLLEEN!”

 

The rooms instantly fell silent. As quickly as it had appeared, the rain and clouds disappeared, and Dan wheezed the last of the water out of him as he lay dripping onto his kitchen floor. He scrambled backwards and wiped drenched hair from his eyes as light flooded the room once again. When he withdrew his hand, he realized some of the moisture was his own sweat.

 

In front of him, Spooky’s form was almost as still as a statue, save for a tingling electric current running across her edges. Dan felt her gaze honed onto him as he slid back until he was against the counter. “Spooky…”

 

Suddenly, he felt a lowly simmering irritation in place of fear. He had agreed to help her, and this is what he got? Her freaking out at him with zero explanation, almost choking him?!

 

The lyrics of many songs written long ago kept flickering across his mind. Dan knew that his protective barrier could be broken. He wasn’t sure he was completely in control of anything.

 

[ There’s only one life  
Stay out of mine! Stay out of mine! ] 

 

The shadow shrank considerably. Dan watched as it slowly tried to slither towards him. He pressed against the wall and spat, “NO! Get back. Don’t come near me.” He sternly furrowed his brow, suddenly becoming tired. “What the hell was that?! I couldn’t breathe, and I’m fucking soaked!”

 

He waited for her to respond, but the strange being just stood there, unmoving. Then, Dan saw the current around her spike, becoming a vibrant orange-yellow. Unexpectedly, he heard his own inner voice speak on its own accord. It was a whisper.

 

~What did you just call me?~

 

His mouth fell open a moment. He gulped. “I…I called you Colleen. Because…that’s your real name, Spooky.” He eyed the crumpled piece of paper now lying on the floor. Some of the anger disappeared. Well, he might as well try again. He spoke quietly. “You said…that was from your mom? Do you remember her?”

 

Dan watched as the amber aura around Spooky turned a murky cobalt. His eyes widened as inside her, he could see the storm blooming again within her shadowy being. As her entire form became as black as the CD case, lightening flashed in places between the clouds that she was slowly becoming.

 

It hit Dan too late that he’d made yet another mistake. ~The letter…~

 

If the letter was written by Spooky’s mother, and it was left for Colleen, then… oh. 

 

~Oh, shit!~

 

Suddenly, the stormy shadow expanded, engulfing him. He swore loudly as a sharp, bright pain erupted in his head, right between his eyes. He was momentarily blinded, but he could feel the force of the rain blanketing him again, accompanied by the roar of a powerful vortex of wind encircling him.

 

The shadow gripped his shoulders and began to shake him. His mind began to simply shout at itself, sounding as though several versions of himself were echoing, practically screaming atop each other. 

 

~WHERE IS SHE?~ ~WHERE IS COLLEEN?! ~IS SHE SAFE?!~ ~WHERE IS COLLEEN, DAN?~ ~WHERE IS SHE?! WHERE IS SHE?!~ ~DID YOU SEE HER?!~ ~WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!~ ~ANSWER ME!~ ~DAAAN!~

 

Dan cried out as his head throbbed from the rising ringing in his ears. He tried to swat Spooky away, but felt only pouring ice water.

 

In a desperate attempt to get away from her, through throbbing, watery vision, Dan scrambled to his knees and then his feet, running blindly ahead and wheezing when the sink-counter collided with his torso. He followed it to the open hallway and through the rain, he slipped and almost bit it, catching himself on a door frame before stumbling into his pantry and slamming the door shut. 

 

There was no wind or rain in here, and his mind had quieted, although there was still a throb in his skull. Panting, Dan slid down the back wall, eyeing the shelves of cans around him, and then the door. Grabbing the pentagram around his neck, he squeezed his eyes shut and prayed some made-up spell as hard as he could.

 

Outside, the wind was becoming deafening. He thought he could hear crying, fading in and out with the storm. The walls and the door wildly rattled, but miraculously everything stayed put beneath the single light bulb swaying overhead.

 

Dan pulled his phone out of his pocket. But even if it didn’t get water damaged, the battery was now dead. And even if his voice could be heard now, he couldn’t bring any of his songs to mind. It was as though he’d left them outside. 

 

Instead, he laid back and pulled his legs up to his chest, waiting for whatever this was to end. He thought about what Sharon had told him. ~It was so loud, it scared me half to death…~ He thought of the sage bundle he left in his car.

 

He closed his eyes, realizing that he was beginning to drift in and out. “Spooky…you aren’t…”

 

So she wasn’t Colleen Day. She was another stranger. 

 

In ignoring the clear warnings, in being trusting of something he didn’t even remotely understand, Dan had become imprisoned by a chaotic spirit. 

 

The light above him dimmed until it was lost, and with a sigh, he joined it in the darkness.


End file.
